Alumni Highlight: Isaiah Drummond, Stanford '21
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
"I want to be a changemaker in the energy space, not in relation to profit or regulation, but in energy equity," Isaiah Drummond effortlessly shared, when asked what he wants his work to accomplish.
In 2021, when Drummond graduated from Stanford, he posted a heartfelt and humble note: "I finished my Stanford journey and acquired my M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Thank you to all the family, friends, and mentors who helped me along the way and pushed me past the finish line. These past five years on the Farm were incredible, and I am so grateful for the learnings and experiences that have molded me into the person I am today. I want to thank my family for their guidance, prayers, and wisdom at every step. Finally, for the hundreds of individuals who have poured into me over the years, thank you for all that you have done. Without the village around me, I would never have gotten this far and I am forever grateful."
Christian Union Caritas served as one small, but meaningful part of the village that helped to mold him into the person he has become.
Drummond grew up in a Christian household in Houston, knowing that when he got to college he would need support in growing his faith, so he would not lose it. There is a Biblical principle reflected clearly in nature that things either atrophy or grow. Drummond seems to intuitively and deeply know this truth that nothing thrives without the intentional effort to grow it, whether it is our intellectual stamina, our physical strength, our ability to adapt in new surroundings, or our relationship with God and with people.
Knowing that growth requires intention, he signed up to be part of the first group of students at CU Caritas at Stanford under ministry director Justin Woyak's invitation and leadership. This cohort of young men was a diverse group of students with different levels of faith who had open and honest discussions with each other, supporting each other through the challenges and successes of collegiate life. For him, CU Caritas was a tight-knit Christian community where students could find encouragement and work through doubt to deepen their knowledge of and trust in God.
Since graduating from Stanford in 2021, Drummond has been working at the Houston Office for Bain & Company as an energy consultant. This fall he will be heading up to the East Coast to Boston to pursue his MBA at Harvard Business School. For the last six months, Drummond has been working in Nairobi, Kenya for a small company that seeks to help the most vulnerable by solving how to provide quality energy and power products to communities that often do not have the resources for acquiring them.
When asked about the difficulty of such work, he reflected on the strength and resilience of the Kenyan people, saying, "One thing I noticed in Kenya during a flood season and during a time of political unrest when the whole country lost power–that's almost 60 million people without energy– is that there is much outside of human control, which is shocking to an American perspective. I learned to more deeply appreciate the blessings we have in our country, as we typically don't experience these kinds of losses and the implications that it has on food, medication, health, and wellbeing. The resilience of the Kenyan people provided me with a critical reminder that people are capable of doing far more than we think is possible when we have far less than we think we need."
Drummond cares deeply about three things: his spiritual growth, his professional work, and his personal relationships. How we use our time is a good indicator of the truth of our priorities. His priorities, from his undergraduate to his professional career, are evident in the way he allocates his valuable time. He has worked hard in the energy sector as a consultant, in his local church as a teacher to 6th and 7th grade boys, and in maintaining his relationship with God and serving others. Drummond lives with an abundant sense of gratitude for the blessings and the people around him, seizing opportunities that come his way.
According to Drummond, the support he received through CU Caritas empowered him to grow his faith and to feel comfortable holding leadership positions. CU Caritas helped to equip him to become more confident in talking with people about their faith and how it shapes their understanding of purpose and meaning. "As I pivoted outside of my spheres of faith, when I served as a Resident Assistant at Stanford, for example, I began to ask myself, 'How can I help to give other students a sense of belonging and a foundation on which to grow here?' Christian Union gave me the language to speak hope, love, and truth to others I worked with as an RA without feeling awkward."
In addition to serving as an RA, Drummond served in Stanford's student government. "I was raised to value civic service and to give back to my community; life is not just about consuming, but about contributing," he said. With this heart, Drummond became the vice president of Stanford's governing student body, ASSU. His narrow win taught him that every interaction and every person matters when serving as an elected official of any kind. He leads others by deeply valuing them and by his ability to see the gaps in the system, so that he can advocate for those who need additional support and resources.
Susan Brown, a ministry fellow at CU Caritas, shared, "Isaiah is the guy that every circle of friends needs. He brings joy and energy to any situation with just the right amount of calm that comes from a deep sense of faith and trust in knowing Jesus and understanding himself as a child of God. He was what we needed when the ministry was starting up at Stanford and continues to be that as the Alumni Board president for CU Caritas—steady and yet up for an adventure. He recently led the board while living in Kenya, undaunted by the time difference and distance."
This fall, Drummond is embarking on a new adventure: he is heading to business school at Harvard to master the skills of management and to explore how to engineer a bridge between secular values and his own Christian values in his profession.
Once in Boston, Drummond is looking forward to connecting to a larger Christian Union community of alumni and friends through his involvement in CU America. He is humbled, challenged, and encouraged as he works to contribute to the movement of successfully transitioning our planet towards carbon neutrality. He is running the race of life with perseverance, joy, and excellence and inspiring us all to do the same.
