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Take Kindness on the Road in 2024

See our contest winners and their stories from the Take Kindness on the Road in 2024 contest

December 2024 Winners - Deliver a goodie to your carpool/vanpool buddies or Marguerite driver.

Our year-long Kindness on the Road contest ends this month. Thanks to everyone who entered and spread positive vibes while commuting this past year. This month’s 2024 winners are Stella Trinidad, Ellie Sampson, and Daniella Duran. This month’s theme is deliver a goodie to your carpool/vanpool buddies or Marguerite driver.

"I gave my Caltrain conductor muffins and a prayer card to express my gratitude for his kindness and service. He was thankful and excited for the sweet treats! I was happy to brighten his day when so often people are heads down, dismissive, or even upset when having to interact with him."

Stella Trinidad
Assistant Director of Development Programs

"Last December, we rode the train instead of driving to a holiday dinner party, which was my husband’s introduction to Caltrain. Since the new electric trains, we’ve ridden from Mountain View to have dinner in Palo Alto–the smooth, quiet ride is much cheaper than an Uber."

Daniella Duran
Director of Education and Outreach with nano@stanford

"My boyfriend and I started a tradition where we bike 14 miles to the Cheesecake Factory and back over break. Going back is slower since we just ate a lot of food but it's a fun tradition." 

Ellie Sampson
‘27

November 2024 Winners - Use your turn signal or hand signals at campus roundabouts.

November 2024 Take Kindness on the Road Contest winners are Lily Forman and Deepa Hinduja. We're thankful for their kind commuting gestures.

"I frequently commute on Caltrain from San Francisco and have helped strangers. Once, I assisted a woman in choosing the right ticket and train to get to her destination. She was grateful and I was happy to help."

Lily Forman
Clinical Research Coordinator, Stanford Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab

"I stopped to let a mother and her child cross a busy road. They’d been waiting patiently at a ped crossing. My action grabbed the attention of other vehicles who also stopped. The child said ‘thank you,’ loudly. That made my heart feel so warm!"

Deepa Hinduja
Assistant Director of Finance

Don't forget! November 13 is World Kindness Day

October 2024 Winners - Give out Halloween treats on public transit.

Our October 2024 Take Kindness on the Road Contest is Pat Lopes Harris, who hands out goodies while commuting on public transit. Your mission this month, should you choose to accept it: Hand out treats on public transit on 10/31.

"Last year was the first time I handed out candy on Caltrain, and I didn't know what to expect. But people seemed very happy to make a connection!"

Pat Lopes Harris
Director of Communications, Stanford Institute for Advancing Just Societies

September 2024 Winners - Assist a fellow transit rider OR try riding public transit to work.

Your mission during September’s Transit Month, should you choose to accept it: Assist a fellow transit rider or take public transportation to work.

"I always greet my P shuttle driver and chat up Caltrain conductors. The drivers and conductors are so nice--they always react with a smile. These interactions make me feel connected to the world around me."

Sarah Frisch
Lecturer, Creative Writing Program

"I make sure to greet and thank the Caltrain conductor each time. Instead of automatically storing my bike in an empty rack when I get on the train, I try to make other cyclists’ trips easier by checking the destination tags of bikes already in racks on the train and grouping my bike with others to leave empty racks for riders."

Halil Yenigun
Associate Director, Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies

August 2024 Winners - Allow at least 3 drivers to pull out of a parking space.

We’ve all been there…we’ve backed halfway out of a parking spot (or our driveway) when another driver flies by, hoping… to get to their destination faster. Our August Kindness on the Road Contest winner, Maria Theresa Dulay, shows others grace by patiently allowing drivers to pull out of parking spaces.

"Just like a rainbow brightens a rainy day, a simple act of kindness in a parking lot can bring a touch of positivity to our daily routines. Even in the hustle and bustle of our lives, small gestures can create a spectrum of happiness and connection. Let's turn every parking spot—at Stanford and elsewhere—into an opportunity to spread joy."

Maria Theresa Dulay
Senior Research Scientist

July 2024 Winners - Turn in a lost item.

Margaret Hughes and Jeanette Chavez commute from Fremont to Stanford on Marguerite Line AE-F. Over the course of a year, Margaret, a librarian, and Jeanette, an executive assistant for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, gradually began greeting one another as they waited for the bus at the Ardenwood Park & Ride. They casually chatted whenever they ended up sitting near each other, and eventually exchanged first names. 

TRY OUR CALCULATOR to compute your potential savings! Margaret and Jeanette each save $4,000+ a year in apparent commute costs (gas, parking, and tolls) and $6,500+ in hidden commute costs (maintenance/repairs, registration, depreciation, etc.) By adopting a sustainable commute, the women also reduce their overall carbon footprint by more than 10%. 


One morning last fall, Margaret arrived at the bus stop. Jeanette noticed that, as usual, she was laden with so many parcels it was as if she'd packed for six months–not a day at the office.  
 

“Look at my new cork purse,” Margaret said. “I brought it back from Portugal, the largest producer of cork in the world!”


On the bus, Jeanette settled in one row behind Margaret. When they arrived on campus, Margaret got off first at the Oval. As Jeanette stood to gather her things at the next stop, she noticed something wedged between the armrest and Margaret’s seat—the cork purse. Before getting off, she gave the bag to the driver for safe keeping.


Once in the office, Jeanette pulled up the Stanford directory. “I didn’t know her last name but vaguely remembered she worked in a library. Do you know how many Margarets work at Stanford? A lot,” she said. Jeanette scrolled through an endless array of Margarets until finally she found the right one.


At 7:10 am, Margaret's phone rang. A voice on the other end asked, “Is this the Margaret who rides the bus?” "I hadn’t realized my purse was missing," said Margaret who figured she'd drive to the lost and found in Fremont after work. The only problem? Her car keys were in her purse.


Once again, Jeanette came to the rescue and drove Margaret to get her purse. “I felt so grateful that Jeanette went out of her way to help me - twice!” said Margaret. “It reinforces how great my Stanford colleagues are. I've noticed that us bus commuters look out for each other. It's a great feeling.”

The next time Margaret saw Jeanette at the bus stop, she came bearing a snack-filled goodie bag and a cork coin purse from Portugal.

“Needless to say, Margaret and I are now friends,” said Jeanette.

“Friends for life,” added Margaret. “I look forward to seeing her at the bus stop.”

Considering a sustainable commute but feeling overwhelmed?

Schedule a complimentary 15-minute One-on-One Commute Consultation with Stanford Transportation.

May 2024 winners - Bike to work + wave & smile at 5 people this National Bike Month.

In honor of Bike Month, meet three people in the Stanford community who show grace while bike commuting. Congrats to May Kindness on the Road Contest winners Shilpa Chen, Nadine Nagy, and Helen Chu. What will you do this month to pay it forward on your commute?

"It's important not to be rushed when driving into or out of campus because there are lots of people and things going on. I always give pedestrians and bikers the right of way. I love when they raise their hand or nod in acknowledgement."

Shilpa Chen
Marketing Director, GSB

"One morning while biking to Stanford, I passed Palo Alto High School. I waited to let many teens on bikes and cars enter while I waved and smiled. Some were confused, but others waved back, smiled, and said ‘Thank you very much’ while biking by."

Nadine Nagy
Research Scientist

"I waited until all the bikers got off Caltrain first. Many smiled and nodded in appreciation."

Helen Chu
Assistant Vice Provost, Learning Spaces

April 2024 Winners - Help the planet by commuting sustainably this Earth Month.

"To avoid driving alone, I carpooled with three co-workers to a work conference in Lake Tahoe. I brought homemade snacks for everyone. It was fun to bond and eco-friendly as well."

Ramya Narasimhan
Life Science Research Professional

"Riding the Marguerite Shopping Express to Walmart with fellow students, I spread joy by distributing goodie bags to fellow passengers, adding a cheerful note to each bag. The goal was to create a festive bus atmosphere and turn a routine commute into a shared celebration."

William Zhang
Data Science, Undergraduate

March 2024 Winners - Make your transit driver's day and make room for others on transit.

From making goodie bags and playing peek-a-boo with bus-riding babies to donating blood en route to work, the latest winners of our 2024 Kindness on the Road contest didn’t disappoint. Cheers to winners Julia Di, Bern Koh, Clare Maloney-McCrystle, Ramya Narasimhan, and William Zhang. What will you do this month to pay it forward on your commute? March’s Public Transportation-theme Winners

"I saw a young mother on the bus and entertained her baby with silly faces for the entire ride. The baby and mother both enjoyed my antics. It made me feel happy and made my commute a little brighter."

Julia Di
‘25 MA

"I calmed down some really lost folks on BART and helped them find their way to SFO by navigating the slightly tricky Red/Yellow line near the Millbrae/SFO Airport stops."

Bern Koh
Online Learning Manager

"Throughout 2024, I’m adding a monthly stop at the Stanford Blood Center to donate blood. It’s exciting to shift my mindset and use my commute to help others."

Clare Maloney-McCrystle
Program Manager School of Sustainability


February 2024 Winners - Do a random act of commute kindness this National Random Act of Kindness Month.

Continuing our “Kindness on the Road” series, congratulations to our Feb. winners, Eryn Mills, Rochelle Aw, Meg Hardin, and Lorelei Shoemaker. This month, during National Random Acts of Kindness Month, we nominate YOU to brighten someone’s day on your commute.

"I bought coffee for the person behind me in the drive-through coffee line. Hopefully, they were happy!"

Eryn Mills
GSB, Associate Director, Campaign Events

"A fellow regular commuter approached me to say her SamTrans app wasn't working. I happily gave her bus fare and asked her name. Now we greet each other every morning."

Rochelle AW
Basic Life Research Scientist

"After the driver let a woman on the Dumbarton Express even though she didn’t have enough money to pay the fare, I gave my extra $20 Clipper card to this stranger. She had tears in her eyes and blessed me. I felt like it was so little on my part but could be a real help."

Meg Hardin 
GSB, Dean’s Office Support Staff

"On my bicycle commute, I pass an elderly lady who lives alone. She loves to garden and sit in the sun on her porch. Whenever I see her out, I wave and say 'Hello!' When I have time, I stop to chat about her garden and ask what’s in bloom."

Lorelei Shoemaker
Research Scientist Adult Neurosurgery

January 2024 Winners - Let a Car Merge in Front of You

Sometimes, we’re so hyperfocused on getting to and from our destination, we forget that a simple gesture, like letting another driver merge, can make someone's day. So our theme for January is “LET ‘EM IN; IT’S A WIN! Thanks to our winners, Jeanne, Leigh Ann & David.

"I let a mother with little kids waving their arms in the backseat get in front of me on 101. It was like having a TV to watch while I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic. She gave me a little wave when she merged."

Jeanne Nicholas
Director of Finance and Operations Procurement Buyer, LBRE Finance

"I let each person waiting to come out of parking lots on Sand Hill Road go in front of me when no one else would let them in they waved, and I waved back. Made my day to help when I saw no one else helping."

Leigh Ann Fraley
Research Program Coordinator
 

"One day, I started my commute with a small gesture. As I navigated the crowded roads, I noticed several drivers trying to merge into my lane With a smile, I eased my foot off the accelerator and gestured for them to go ahead. This was both kind, and the coasting saved fuel. The other drivers’ grateful nods filled me with joy; a perfect way to start the workday."

David Wu
Life Science Researcher

 Download or print this calendar to help keep the kindness rolling all year!
 

 

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