Hi! My name is Ava Meigs. I was born in Kunming, Yunnan, China, and adopted at nine months old. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, just outside of Asheville. My close-knit family includes my parents and my older sister, Audrey.
In high school, I was involved with several women’s rights organizations and Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit, fair trade store. Over the summer of 2023, I served as an intern for the NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement’s western office. Through those leadership positions, I learned about the myriad issues affecting women’s political, social, educational, and economic wellbeing and about many forms of gender advocacy. I was given the opportunity to help create safe spaces for female-identifying people, which I hope to continue at Duke.
I am incredibly grateful and proud to be a Baldwin Scholar. I am excited to learn from this unique and diverse community, and to be part of an organization that so closely matches my own values and beliefs.
At Duke, I plan to major in Public Policy and minor in Medical Sociology. I am passionate about equitable healthcare and ensuring quality care for marginalized populations, especially women of color. I am a violist in the Duke Symphony Orchestra and serve as Co-Chair for Publicity on the symphony’s executive committee. In the future, I hope to become involved with the Polis Student Committee and/or a mental health awareness organization.
Beyond these academic passions, I love to bake, practice yoga, and play with my three dogs, Clementine, Dobby, and Elphaba!