Hello! My name is Fer Machicao, and I am so excited and incredibly grateful to be a part of this remarkable Baldwin family.
I was born in Jacksonville, FL and grew up in the city of Gainesville – a place I still hold dear to my heart. When I was 14 my family and I moved to Houston, TX. The vibrant, diverse, living-breathing city and the people I met there quickly became an integral part of my life and story which made Texas a place I am proud to call home.
My family means the world to me – my mom, my dad, and my two dogs, Canutto and Cutie. My whole family is from Peru and through them I feel extremely lucky to have grown up exposed to a different culture, open-minded, and engaged with the world around me.
Apart from growing up in Florida with a family that loved being close to water and going to the beach, since I was eight years old I have been a competitive swimmer. Through swimming I have met some of my closest friends, my coaches became mentors, and the pool was (and still is) a place where I felt most myself and where there always existed the opportunity to work as a team towards something extraordinary.
For high school, I attended St. Agnes Academy in Houston, TX. The opportunity to learn and build relationships in an all-girls high school focused on academic curiosity, integrity, servant-leadership, social justice, creating a culture of dignity, embracing diversity of thought and experience, and helping build confidence as each individual continues to find her voice - is an experience I am forever grateful for which helped me realize how deeply I value my identity as a young woman and the role I wish to pursue in the world.
Here at Duke, I am currently interested in majoring in Biology, Global Health, or Public Policy and pursuing a certificate in Human Rights while on a pre-med track. As a first semester first year I was a part of the Humanitarian Challenges Focus, a member of the MiGente first year committee, and I am also a part of Duke’s Club Swim team.
I am so excited to be a part of Duke, Baldwin class of 2022, and for the future as a part of this community of strong, compassionate, and talented young women!