Duke University | Baldwin Scholars Program
Andrea Patiño
A couple of years ago I missed a flight. From one city to the other, one day or night or morning; it doesn't really matter. The point of the story is that I got incredibly angry. And for a moment I thought I had the worse luck of all individuals. Really. On order to catch the next flight I had to stay at the airport for 24 hours and during that time I wrote a lot. When applying to college I decided to use my experience in that one airport as a way to explain why I wanted to go to Duke.
I was never sure whether I wanted to go to Duke, or to the United States even. Even today, I ask myself the question. But overall the
experience has been extremely satisfying, challenging, unique. I am glad I am here, and when I question things, there are people who with their presence make me understand that this is the right place.
So I can begin now. I am a Colombian 21 year old, rising sophomore. A little old for my class, but the reasons for which I am behind are experiences I would never change. When I was 17 I left Colombia for Norway as a United World College scholar. All you have to know about what UWC is (for me), is that it changed my life. Both for good and for bad. And it was in Norway --one day during those two years-- where I missed my flight and I realized that perception is a powerful thing.
Maybe we can talk about it sometime.
Other than that --I guess-- it would be good for me to tell what the things are that I like and those I don't like so much. I like art, art history, history, film, literature. I am most likely going to major in both art history and visual arts. I dislike rather few things, like beans and sometime economics.