Duke University | Baldwin Scholars Program

Snayha Nath

Snayha Nath

My name is Snayha Nath, and I’m a junior from Cary, NC (about 30 minutes from Duke). I never thought I would end up at a school so close to home. I had always imagined myself venturing to a completely new part of the country. Three years ago, if someone had told me I would end up at a college no further from my home than my high school was, I would not have believed it. Nevertheless, Duke has filled my life with diversity. I have explored courses ranging from linguistics to chemistry to religion, finally deciding on a history major. I have met people from all over the world with a variety of ideas and interests.

My experiences in Baldwin have impacted my other forms of campus involvement. After discussing women's issues in depth during the freshman seminar, I got involved the Duke Women's Mentoring Network and now serve as the president. I am also Co-President of the Global Education Office Student Committee, Vice President of the History Major's Union, and a tutor for Latinos in the community with GANO.

The summer after my freshman year, I lived in the small town of Cheraw, SC and interned with a shelter for abused women. This experience opened my eyes to issues of domestic and sexual violence.  The following summer, I interned at a human rights law office in Cape Town, South Africa and immersed myself in refugee rights and women's rights initiatives and research. During the fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Valparaiso, Chile and conducted a 50-page independent study in Spanish on indigenous communities and Chilean law.  This past summer, I served as a policy intern in the North Carolina Office of the Governor in Raleigh.

Applying to Baldwin was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Not only does the program offer incredible opportunities, it has led me to some of the people I love and respect the most. It still amazes me how quickly the girls in my class bonded! I know I can count on them whenever I need someone to talk to. One of the things that struck me the most about this program is that everyone is so different--from different places, with different majors, interests, and passions--yet we share so much in common. I feel so grateful to the Baldwin Scholars Program for everything it has done for me!