Hi y’all! My name is Christina. I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. I love to ski, hike, bike, and be outdoors; I have two younger siblings and a dog; and I have a variety of interests in the classroom.
I took a gap year before starting at Duke, a decision that predated COVID-19. In the fall, I worked at a local restaurant, interned on a US Senate campaign, and volunteered with a voter protection nonprofit in Atlanta. I then bought a national park pass and took a month-long cross-country road trip, doing everything from eating hot chicken in Nashville to stargazing in Arches National Park to surfing in San Diego. I ended my road trip in Utah where I worked as a ski lift operator. My gap year had incredible ups and downs: it’s corny, but dedicating a year to exploring the beauty and diversity of the world and its people has helped center me in what I consider truly meaningful and important as I move this new stage of life that is college.
It’s easy for me to write about my gap year: writing about what I plan to study, be involved in, or my greater goals in life is a lot more difficult and unknown. My very first semester, I attended the Baldwin seniors’ final presentations on whatever personal topic they chose to present on in their Baldwin course. Hearing the seniors talk about their interests and goals for the future was incredibly special: everyone was so self-aware, self-confident and grounded in who they are despite what was coming next or the uncertainty of it. I came out of the presentations a little nervous but mostly excited about the fact that I had absolutely no clue what the topic of my presentation would be in three years. I was given a small insight into how much growth and change is in store for me and am grateful to know that I have the Baldwin community beside me as I navigate this journey. I know the Baldwin community will keep me grounded in my desire to do good in the world and in continuing to love learning throughout my college experience.