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Comedy, community, and connection
Kilas Gallimore, ’26, talks about making people laugh and, more importantly, making space at Stanford to pursue his passions.
My name is Kilas Gallimore. My class year is 2026 and I’m a part of Robber Barrons, which is a sketch comedy student group on campus, as well as, I’m involved in some research specifically in the Stanford Plasma Physics laboratory.
I’m a mechanical engineering student but I’m also very involved in sketch comedy.
Before I came here I really thought I had to choose one or the other, but Stanford allows you to really embark on all things you find interesting and all your passions. So there’s not much intersection between the two, but I’m making my own space and making my own intersection between my two passions and I’m loving it.
With Robber Barons, our task on campus is essentially to make people laugh, and when you’re part of a group thats goal is to make sure people are having a good day and uplift spirits, it’s a super special process to be a part of.
Coming together, organizing, and making sure that people are happy, people are enjoying their day, people enjoy the sketch comedy performances we put on quarterly, is just such a wonderful experience.
The opportunities I’ve been able to take hold of, ranging from performing, to engineering, to simply grabbing lunch with friends on campus, has been transformative and I will take that with me throughout the rest of my life.
What I would like to say to the donors who support us each and every year is thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your impact is truly immeasurable. My experiences and the opportunities I’ve been given are invaluable and when you extrapolate that to the 7,000 undergrads on campus, you're touching so so many lives.
Thank you so much.
When he first came to Stanford, Kilas Gallimore, ’26, struggled to find his identity in the midst of so many high-achieving peers. That is, until he met some Robber Barons.
For more than 15 years, Stanford’s student-led Robber Barons sketch comedy troupe has been bringing joy and connection to campus through their performances.
Gallimore was introduced to the close-knit group during his frosh year, and with them he quickly found not only laughter but also friends, mentors, community, and a sense of belonging.
“I learned that I didn’t need to strive to be uniquely exceptional but rather aim to be exceptionally unique,” he says.
Now a junior, Gallimore is majoring in mechanical engineering while continuing to hone his sketch comedy skills. He credits the donors who give through The Stanford Fund for his ability to pursue his varied interests on campus.
“The opportunities I’ve been able to take hold of, from performing, to studying engineering, to simply grabbing lunch with friends on campus, have been transformative,” he says. “I will take these experiences with me throughout the rest of my life.”
The Stanford Fund supports undergraduate initiatives ranging from diverse academic programming to activities that enrich student life. Participating in on-campus groups allows students to pursue a wide variety of passions and interests and is often a pivotal part of their Stanford experience. Gifts through The Stanford Fund support thousands of undergraduates participating in more than 170 student groups, including performing arts clubs, identity-based and cultural groups, professional organizations, and club sports teams.
“As a Stanford student, I am most proud of the fact that I have carved out a unique identity for myself and my passions by taking advantage of the numerous resources around me,” says Gallimore. “I am who I am today because of the opportunities at my fingertips to explore all aspects of myself, and for that, I am beyond grateful.”