Meet the Team

About Approaching Stanford &
New Student Orientation

The Approaching Stanford/New Student Orientation team is made up of both student and professional staff, all within the office of Academic Advising. The Approaching Stanford program is required for all new undergraduate students. It is the process that will guide you in your preparation for Stanford.

Beginning in May for first-years and June for transfers, new students will receive weekly communications with information that will help transition you to the Farm. In the months leading up to the fall, you will learn more about academics and course enrollment, housing assignments, health requirements, student communities, opportunities, and resources. The information provided will culminate in your attendance at New Student Orientation (NSO), which will run in the days leading up to the start of Autumn Quarter.

2023 Orientation Coordinators

Orientation Coordinators (OCs) are the Stanford student staff in Academic Advising who serve on the Approaching Stanford/New Student Orientation team. The OCs dedicate their summer to help incoming students prepare for Stanford and to plan New Student Orientation (NSO). Follow @approachingstanford on Instagram!

Alondra Martinez '26

Alondra Martinez in a black sweater standing in front of the archways at the Stanford Quad.

Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major/Academic Interests: Political Science and Communications
Favorite Stanford Memory: Moving in for my first year early, exploring Stanford, and meeting new people during the FLI student orientation (FLI-SO)!
Favorite Class at Stanford: Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News

Hunter Prinz '26

Hunter Prinz in a white polo shirt with red Polo embroidery against a green ivy background

Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Granger, TX
Major/Academic Interests: Design and Biocomputational Engineering
Favorite Stanford Memory: Opening night of A Chorus Line, his first musical on campus
Favorite Class at Stanford: CS106B, regardless of public opinion :)

Johan Sotelo '25

Johan Sotelo pictured in a red Stanford polo with black sleeves against the background of a dirt road and hills.

Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Truckee, CA
Major/Academic Interests: Management Science and Engineering
Favorite Stanford Memory: All the wonderful experiences of studying abroad in Madrid, Spain!
Favorite Class at Stanford: Accounting for Managers and Entrepreneurs (MS&E 140)

Miguel Tejeda '26

Miguel Tejeda standing in the archways of the Quad wearing a black button down shirt with an olive green pullover vest. His arms are crossed across his chest.

Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Wilsonville, OR
Major/Academic Interests: Political Science
Favorite Stanford Memory: Participating in a San Francisco scavenger hunt with my dorm!
Favorite Class at Stanford: International Security in a Changing World

Omotolani Azeez '26

Omotolani Azeez pictured in a white tank top with strap over shoulder. Background of photograph is a brick building with shadows cast by trees.

Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Newark, NJ
Major/Academic Interests: Communications and Psychology
Favorite Stanford Memory: All the evenings I biked around campus to watch the sunset with my friends
Favorite Class at Stanford: Film and Philosophy

Ritchie Yang '26

Ritchie Yang pictured in the archways of the Quad at Stanford with his arms crossed. Pictured in a blue suit, white shirt, and glasses.

Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Petal, MS
Major/Academic Interests: Economics
Favorite Stanford Memory: Hiking the Dish with my roommates
Favorite Class at Stanford: Chinese 3

Professional Staff

Trista Shideler (she/her), Associate Director of New Student Programs, is responsible for planning and implementing New Student Orientation for first-year and transfer students as they begin their academic careers at Stanford. She and six orientation coordinators (student roles) are responsible for overseeing hundreds of events over the course of NSO that orient students to community, academics, and social opportunities. Trista holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies with a minor in LGBTQ Studies from San Diego State University, and a Master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Diana Suedbeck (she/her), Assistant Director of New Student Programs, is responsible for implementing the Approaching Stanford program, which provides support to first-year and transfer students as they transition to life at Stanford. Being one of the first points of contact for these incoming students, Diana is focused on making sure they feel well-equipped to begin their academic experience at the university. Receiving her Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN, Diana's passion for higher education grew as she coached women's lacrosse for her alma mater.

Edith Wu-Nguyen (she/her), Associate Dean and Director of New Student Programs in Academic Advising, oversees the preparation, welcome, and transition of new first-year students and transfers to Stanford through the Approaching Stanford process and New Student Orientation. She is also the Resident Fellow (RF) for Okada House, the four-class Asian American ethnic theme house located in the Sequoia Neighborhood. Edith earned her Master’s degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree from Stanford where she studied Human Biology and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. Prior to returning to Stanford in 2006, she worked in community-based programs in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, including Head Start/Early Head Start, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, and Public Allies-Silicon Valley.