THE PONTIS REVIEW
OUR STORY
Dani Kobrick, Thea Louise Dai, and Makena Tom met as alumnae of the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). Inspired by their research journeys in SPICE, they sought a way to celebrate and create an impact through the scholarly work of youth. Thus, The Pontis Review was born.
OUR TEAM
Valerie Wu
Editor-In-Chief
Valerie Wu is a student based in Washington D.C., and she is a Hong Kong American! She graduated from Stanford University’s China Scholars Program in fall 2025. In her free time, she loves to read, study international relations, and learn about diverse cultures!
Anika Rigby
Editor-In-Chief
Anika Rigby is a student at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, and a fall 2025 alumna of Stanford University’s China Scholars Program. She is passionate about civic education, government, and fostering a more collaborative and understanding global environment.
OUR ADVISORY BOARD
Carey Moncaster
Stanford e-China Instructor
Stanford University
Tanya Lee
Stanford China Scholars Program Instructor
Stanford University
Naomi Funahashi
Stanford Reischauer Scholars Program Instructor
Stanford University
Founders
Dani Kobrick
Co-founder
Dani (Danielle) Kobrick was a freshman at Harvard University. She is an aspiring scholar committed to democratizing the learning of language, culture, and history for all. Having completed Stanford University’s China Scholars Program in Spring 2022, Dani believes that the past has critical implications for the future and therefore applies her background in ancient civilizations to her studies of current geopolitical relations.
Thea Louise Dai
Co-founder
Thea Louise Dai was a senior at Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. She is the recipient of the Global Education Benchmark Group’s 2022 Global Expression and Thought Prize, and believes that the solution to the world’s greatest problems lies within international cooperation. She is also an alumna of Stanford University's China Scholars Program and the co-founder and co-executive director of Project 17, a 501(c)(3) NPO dedicated to connecting students around the world through the 17 SDGs of the United Nations.
Makena Tom
Co-founder
Makena Tom was a senior at Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton, California, and an alumna of Stanford University's China Scholars and Reischauer Scholars Programs. She is passionate about exploring cross-cultural experiences through writing, music, and debate. Makena is also a proponent of respectful civil discourse through a curiosity to learn in an increasingly polarized political climate. She hopes to complete her tertiary education with a focus on East Asian studies and political theology.