Duke University | Baldwin Scholars Program

Kristen Lee

Kristen Lee

There are three things I love more than anything in this world: music, science, and people.

On Music: Growing up in a household where Beethoven’s lullaby was played at bedtime, knowing the words to Tommy was a requisite, and dissing the Beatles was sacrilege, I have always seen music as a part of who I am. Music is this communication that colors my world. It is my voice where my spoken words leave off.

On Science: Hailing from Arlington Heights Illinois, a suburb thirty minutes out of Chicago, I came to embrace my inner science nerd at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. To this day I have this uncompromising need to know things, to figure out the mechanism, and understand the why.  After taking Gender, Health, and Poverty at Duke, a course that revolutionized the way I thought of complexity and humanity, that love of science has turned into a love of social research and simply put, I am a science geek, loud and proud. 

On People: A great deal of who I am today can be attributed to the people around me. My favorite question besides “why?” is “tell me about yourself”. I love to listen to other people’s histories. Every time I am in a room full of Baldwins I find myself learning more about myself in listening to their stories.  I see the growth that Baldwin has inspired in me to be a stronger more determined young woman and am so grateful to be a part of such an inspired network of female leaders.

At Duke I am a sociology major with interests in race, gender, and sexuality. As a part of the Sickle Cell Transition Program I worked with patients to ease the move from pediatric to adult clinic.  Through DukeEngage I returned to Ecuador and supported gender violence dialogues with communities affected by Plan US/Colombia's chemial fumagation.  This past spring I studied women's health in India and China through the Global Semester Abroad.  I am currently working on publishing my research on Asian American undergraduates and hope to become a community physician.  As a senior Baldwin I can say without a doubt the Baldwin Scholars was an integral part of my experience at Duke.

If you have any questions about Baldwin or anything I've written I welcome any emails to kal34@duke.edu. Thank you for reading my profile page.

Baldwin love!
Kristen Lee