My name is Elizabeth, and I am proud to be an alumna of the Baldwin Scholars Class of 2022.
Whenever people ask what stands out as the best part of my time at Duke, Baldwin is my first answer. I inevitably mention what I majored in (Visual and Media Studies), the coolest classes I took (screen printing with Bill Fick, Representing Slavery with Dr. Jasmine Cobb), and which activities I dedicated the most time to (a student-led advertising agency called Pitch Story Lab), but Baldwin invariably remains my most cherished experience, even as the distance between me and college grows.
As the daughter of a single mother, I came to Duke with a deep sense of what I value: authenticity, empowerment, resilience, and justice. It was these core beliefs that brought me to Baldwin in the first place. I was looking for a community of passionate and like-minded women to form bonds with, and I count myself lucky that through this program I discovered so much more.
In Baldwin, I have found an invaluable space for reflection, vulnerability, and growth. I’ve been comforted and challenged, shared pieces of myself I’d never felt safe to reveal, championed the successes and offered support through the setbacks of others, and all of it has changed me for the better. I mean this seriously: I would not be the woman I am today without Baldwin.
If there happen to be any new Baldwins reading this, I hope that telling you how powerfully this community has shaped me makes you more excited to join it. This community will dare you to know and love yourself more deeply, and while it isn’t perfect (nothing is), I encourage you to embrace it for all it can be. I promise you it is worth the investment.