Hello! My name is Flora Muglia and I am from Mercer Island, Washington, just outside of Seattle. I've always lived in the Seattle area and it is a huge part of how I define myself. I enjoy all of the typical Seattle things like skiing, hiking, coffee, technology, Asian food, and of course I'm liberal. I love the beauty of nature and nothing is more spiritual or profound to me than spending time in it. Growing up my family traveled a lot and I am blessed to say that I have been to six continents and 35 different countries, all of which taught me different lessons and helped to broaden my world view. My favorite country thus far has been Italy, I’m very proud of my Italian heritage and the people and the food are simply incredible. I’ve also loved Israel, Papua New Guinea, and Peru and have had exciting and interesting adventures in each. I love to read, and when I’m not too busy with school work, reading is one of my favorite ways to relax. I have been swimming competitively for 13 years, and in high school I did hip hop dance, student government, and ran a retreat for sophomore girls at my school which is part of the reason why I became interested in Baldwin.
At Duke I plan to major in Public Policy and double minor in History and Arabic. My traveling has influenced my interests in study and possibly what I want to do for a career. First semester I was in the Muslim Cultures FOCUS program, it was a great experience and I feel that I can talk with confidence about the Arab world. I’m a member of Alpha Phi, Club Swimming, I'm the PR person on the exec board of the Greek Women's Initiative, and I will be a First-Year Advisory Councilor in the fall. The Baldwin Scholars program has been such a blessing and I’ve loved being surrounded by such a supportive and strong group of women.
My philosophy in life is to always be optimistic. I’m constantly smiling because smiles are contagious and being unhappy simply isn’t worth it in my opinion. I like to live every day as if it were my last. I value my friends and family above all else and would do anything for them. Life is a gift, and you only get out of it what you give.