Duke University | Baldwin Scholars Program

Tyla Fowler

Tyla Fowler

My time at Duke was an incredible journey.  Coming to North Carolina from a small town in New Mexico was an exciting leap, and studying abroad in Paris during the fall of my junior year was a period of incredible growth and increased self-reliance.  However, the challenges I faced during my six weeks working with WISER in Kenya the summer before junior year were perhaps an even more crucial part of forming me into the person I am today (www.wisergirls.org).  Without the help of the Baldwin Scholars, my experience in Kenya would not have been possible.

More than anything else, my time at Duke taught me that life is about creating your own opportunties and leveraging your talents to achieve your dreams.  After graduating with a degree in International Comparative Studies and a Certificate of Global Health, I moved to New York City with no idea what I was going to do or how it would all work out.  A large part of my ability to take this leap of faith is owed to the confidence I gained from being a Baldwin.  I am so thankful to have the Baldwin support network behind me.

Here in New York, I have begun creating a life for myself.  After working in non-profit communications for eight months, I decided to make a change and pursue my passion for food writing. I started a blog, which I don't update often enough (www.withoutamicrowave.wordpress.com), and took on various internships. I've contiued with two of those internships: I'm working with Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet, as he begins writing his own cookbook for Artisan publishers and as an editorial assistant at SAVEUR, one of my favorite food magazines. I'm slowly but surely seeing my dreams come true (one byline at a time), and I couldn't be more thankful.