Duke University | Baldwin Scholars Program

I am Brittany Sunka Nicha Hoksi Hesbrook, from Santa Fe New Mexico…or the land of enchantment as I make sure everyone knows! Although I love New Mexico and consider myself a fierce New Mexican, I also consider myself a “World Citizen” having gone to an international boarding school called the United World College of the American West (UWC-USA) in Montezuma, New Mexico. Although I have not lived abroad, my school was composed of 200 students from 90 different countries! By interacting with my international peers and teachers, I was able to experience many different cultures, languages, religions, and traditions that I felt as though I lived in all 90 countries! It was an amazing experience, one that has shaped my life in the most positive of ways! It has really changed my outlook from one of local to global. This outlook was nurtured by Duke when I joined their Global Health Foscus program.

Before I went to the UWC-USA, I was very involved in Shotokan Karate having taken lessons, taught, and competed for years! It was a great experience traveling around the U.S, learning karate and competing. I also really enjoyed teaching children about the principals of karate. Karate was my main hobby in high school and I took home two National Titles in sparring (kumite) and one in forms (kata), which was amazing for my entire family and karate school (dojo).

Here at Duke, I am a Political Science and an International and Comparative Studies double major.  I am also working towards the Global Health Certificate.  I have been fortunate enough to participate in the Duke Engage program where I went to Tanzania for a summer to work with street children and do research on gender and drug abuse amongst street children.  This summer, I will be working in South African with the Duke Global Health Institute in a township outside of Cape Town on issues of nutrition and disease.

In short…I am a day tripper, a one way ticket, who laughs in orange and cries in turquoise. I like to eat dessert first, play with my hair, laugh till I can't breathe, dance till I sweat, and watch sappy love movies right after an action flick. I am a Sunday driver who hates to drive and a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. I am a Lakota Sioux woman who has been told she has an Asian spirit, African genes, and a Latino's passion.