My name is Clara Love, and I am incredibly excited to be a Baldwin Scholar at Duke University! The opportunity to grow with my Baldwin sisters for the next 3.5 years, is a true blessing, and I fully intend to give this program my all.
I have lived a very nomadic lifestyle from the time I was born. Originally born in Columbus, Ohio, I will forever consider myself a Midwestern girl who believes in smiling at people who cross my path and being patient with slow drivers. My family moved between Ohio and Michigan several times, and by the time I turned 12, landed in Princeton, New Jersey. Now that I have spent about the same amount of time living in the North East as I have in the Midwest, I have accepted that I am no longer solely a Midwestern girl, but also a Jersey girl… lover of both the city and the sea.
Here at Duke, I plan on being a Public Policy major with a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and African American Studies, along with a Markets & Management Studies certificate. One day, I really want to influence the way in which people view themselves and the products they use/consume, through media and audio marketing. People use advertisements to shape the opinions they have about themselves and the world around them. Too often do we see ads that encourage people to change themselves to fit a mold created by someone else, for the purpose of profit. What upsets me most about this, is that people of color and women are affected by this more than any other category of people. With these issues in mind, I want to work to display healthy images in advertisements while retaining profit, and increase the number of women of color in the field of business and marketing for the sake of impactful representation. My current path has me headed towards brand management consulting and marketing, as I will most definitely be acquiring an MBA in the future.
My time is mostly dedicated to working as a member of the Black in Business Executive Board, the Facebook Editor in Chief at the Duke Career Center, and a member of the Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce. Being involved in these initiatives allows me to gain experience in social media marketing, graphic design, and business management, while actively working to encourage and assist other black students in stepping into the world of business. Aside from my passion for positive advertising and marketing design, I am involved in the Duke International Relations Association (DIRA) as a Model United Nations chair and member of the Finances Committee. I’ve always had an appreciation for learning as much as possible about other countries and the policies under which other people live. The research and writing done in this kind of extracurricular activity has given me a better appreciation for cultures I have never personally experienced. Through this program, I have found that politics are much more complicated than they seem from an outside perspective, and that things are never black and white when it comes to policy.
With the time I have left for myself in the midst of my studies and supplementary activities, I enjoy playing on the Duke Club Volleyball team, exercising on my own, reading books by women who inspire me to be my absolute best (Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, and Angela Davis), talking politics with my dad, swapping funny life stories with my mom, and watching scary movies with my friends. I have found that making time for those in my life who have worked so hard to make me who I am, is equally as important as pursuing my passion and career path. In terms of balancing academics, faithful friends, work, and family, I truly believe that today’s modern woman can have it all, and I intend to do just that!
The Baldwin Scholars program was originally so enticing to me because of its promise to surround me with women as dedicated, passionate, and goal-oriented, as myself. Not only did Baldwin promise this, but also a community of kind, joyful, inspiring, and encouraging women to love and support me along my path of work and of life. I am beyond excited to see the ways in which my Baldwin sisters will make my Duke experience one that I will never forget.