When I entered the Baldwin Scholars program in 2011, I had no idea what my college experience had in store for me, let alone my future. I was 18 years old and very far from my hometown of Pacifica, CA where I was the first person from my high school to go to Duke. Part of college, and growing up, is trying on different hats to see what fits; for me, the Baldwin community served as an anchor as I explored new frontiers, but always guided me back to finding my purpose and following my passions.
At Duke, I was involved with women’s Ultimate Frisbee, served on the board of Duke University Union (DUU), led a DukeEngage Independent project in Waimana, New Zealand, (Literacy Through Photography), studied abroad in Cusco, Peru, and fell in love with reading History. I filled nearly every minute of my time in organized activities, and replaced a lot of those activities with academics by my Senior year when I realized how much I adored writing my history thesis. I will always treasure the quietude of the Perkins Library stacks.
After graduating from Duke in 2015, I moved back to the Bay Area and began a job working at a consumer finance tech company called Affirm. I worked primarily on the New Markets team, which was tasked with determining new business lines and strategies. Throughout the four years I was there, the company grew from 60 people to 600!
Finally, I made my way back to school in the Fall of 2019 and am currently pursuing a Masters in Public Policy at the Goldman School at UC Berkeley. Working in consumer finance catalyzed my interest in economic policy in regulating businesses as well as its impact on low and middle-income individuals and families.