Campus: Duke
Hometown: Washington, DC
High School: School Without Walls

Throughout high school, I took the greatest pride in my social justice advocacy efforts. I served as the Youth City Council Chair of the DC YMCA Youth and Government program, through which I co-authored a successful bill to remove the tax on feminine hygiene products, which became real DC law. To support the education of girls in low-income countries, I founded a chapter of the national organization She’s the First, bringing attention to challenges girls face worldwide when trying to access education, and raising enough money to provide two scholarships to send girls to school. Additionally, I promoted informed consent, positive self-image, and effective communication skills through active involvement in a girls-only support group named Sister Action Sister Strength.

I also exercised my leadership abilities as the first African-American Head Delegate of my school’s Model United Nations Team and two-time Co-Captain and Most Valuable Player of the Varsity Field Hockey team. As the Sole Student Representative on my school’s Local School Advisory Team, I led student efforts to end class ranking and re-evaluate methods for recognizing student achievement. I also interned in the office of DC City Councilmember Brandon Todd where I was able to further learn about my city’s legislative process and serve my neighborhood community.

After my freshman year, I studied Business Communication and International Relations at the University of Oxford through the Oxford Prep Experience, contributing to my interests in global affairs and international business. During the summer between junior and senior year, I designed, programmed, and published a “College Interview” skill for Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, through Carnegie Mellon University’s Language Technology Institute with a team of other students at the Summer Academy for Math and Science, sparking my passion for technology and desire to pursue Electrical and Computer Engineering.

I fully believe businesses are capable of generating both societal and economic value, so I aspire to translate the social justice work I have already begun into a commercial sphere. More specifically, I want to leverage technological innovation to improve society through profitable ventures and enhance corporate social responsibility and diversity across the technology sector.

What drew you to the Robertson Program?

I was drawn to the Robertson Program by the promise of opportunities to push myself out of my comfort zone and truly challenge myself to be the best possible leader. Early on it was apparent to me that no other institution or program could provide me with the same level of academic and personal growth as the Robertson Program. I was particularly excited about the unique experiences I would have as a Robertson Scholar, especially the Community Summer, the Colloquium, and the Campus Switch.