Campus: Duke
Hometown: Liberty Township, OH
High School: Lakota East High School

What drew you to the Robertson Program?

I saw in the Robertson Program a shared educational philosophy and a belief in the constant need to give back. When I listened as the Program Director verbalize the mission and values of the program at finalist weekend, I discovered that we share a lot of bedrock principles. The Robertson Program, like me, believes that in order to learn, one must be constantly push oneself out of their comfort zone and be challenged. The Robertson Program, like me, believes in the power of diversity. The Robertson Program, like me, believes in the necessity of giving back and being a lifelong contributor to society.

How has your experience with the Robertson shaped your goals and career path?

Every day, the Robertson Program reminds me to be humble. I’ve also learned to not think too much about the future in specific terms; almost no one predicts in college where they’ll be ten years after graduation, and most college graduates do not work in areas directly related to their major. Opportunities like Community Summer and ReThink have pulled me in many directions and reminded me that no matter what I may plan for or expect, new opportunities will arise. It is enough to know generally the impact I want to see and the social problems I want to work on; then, I can be flexible in achieving them as I learn more and am exposed to new opportunities.

What has been your favorite Robertson moment so far?

My favorite Robertson experience has been my campus switch semester at Carolina. As someone who went to public school for 13 years before college, there was something refreshing and energizing about spending some time at a public college. Duke and Carolina are each diverse in different ways. Duke pulls similarly oriented people from many different populations, whereas UNC mostly pulls a more complete cross section of one population (North Carolina). The fact that I am able to experience and harness both institutions really is one of the top perks of the program.