My name is Mackenzie Warren, and it is my great honor to be a Baldwin Scholar of Duke’s Class of 2024 where I majored in Psychology and minored in Education. My favorite part of being a Baldwin is how it has allowed me to learn from and collaborate with insanely brilliant and passionate female leaders who have taught me about myself—the strengths I bring to the table as well as the areas in which I can evolve—and taught me to appreciate the stories of those around me.
I’m first and foremost passionate about family and building community. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without my biological family AND my chosen family—all people who have contributed to me championing the following values: faith, hope, kindness, humility, authenticity, fellowship, hard-work, resilience, growth and self-improvement, and giving back to others. Every day, I am trying to make decisions that mold me into being someone who—when sitting on their porch at age 80 reflecting on their life—will feel fulfilled knowing their legacy will have been loving others well; prioritizing people and relationships over all else; and having a genuine desire to uplift and help others, especially those in need. All this to say, while in college, being a Baldwin made me realize that I personally am not fulfilled by chasing the cliche of “changing the world” insofar as being famous or having my name written in lights or in textbooks. Rather, what fulfills me is leading a life of impact and purpose where my priority is: Am I positively contributing to and changing the lives of the people—no matter the quantity—who are in MY world???
Something else that energizes me is my passion for serving historically-marginalized and economically-disadvantaged students through disseminating educational resources, tools, and advice to them. Because of the unjust reality that some youths are better positioned to thrive in the classroom simply due to coming from higher-income households with involved parents, I founded my own nonprofit in 2019 and named it Mack’s School Prep (MSP); the mission of MSP is to give me a platform to serve as a role model who empowers under-resourced high schoolers to take advantage of their education and ultimately get into their dream college.
In alignment with my passion for addressing the inequity in our K-12 American education system, my time at Duke was spent investing in extracurriculars such as volunteering with Families Moving Forward and the Boys and Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties; working as a Post-Secondary Access Advisor with the Game Plan: College Team of the Emily K Center; and doing program coordination work via a “Success and Support” initiative with a 501(c)(3) called Students to Scholars. The career goal that I am moving towards is attending law school so that I can be better equipped for my vocational aspiration of advocating for one of the most vulnerable demographics of our world: children. I want to make a positive difference in the lives of at-risk youths who have tragically suffered at the hands of unfortunate circumstances: poverty, neglect / abuse, family dysfunction, substance use, violence, criminality, PTSD, the school-to-prison pipeline, and more.
Last but not least, it would be remiss of me to not use my alumni-hood to impart some advice to current Baldwins at Duke. (1) Be inspired every day by the world and the people around you. (2) Choose to learn from, as opposed to being intimidated by, your peers who are up to big things in the world, just like you are. (3) Remember that demonstrating vulnerability and authenticity will help you build the kind of caring community that will support you in your journey towards being the best version of yourself. (4) Practice joy and gratitude, even when it feels like nothing is going right, because every hard time is only temporary. (5) Get out of your comfort zone as often as you can because all growth happens in the stretch zone. (6) Rest isn’t earned; it’s always deserved. (7) Be proud of yourself: you did at least one thing today, and that deserves an applause.