Hi! My name is Mannat Bakshi and I am extremely excited to be a member of the Baldwin Scholars. I was born in New Delhi, but I spent my first ten years in Hong-Kong and the following eight in London.
In London, I studied at a girls’ school and this experience was instrumental in helping me see the benefit of supporting and encouraging young women, as well as giving me the platform to do so myself. I worked to promote initiatives that encourage girls to consider pursuing careers in typically male-dominated industries, as well as leading discussions on topical issues surrounding gender. Peer tutoring girls both in and out of my school was another way that I tried to help young girls develop the self-confidence they needed to proudly succeed in their academic endeavours. As a part of the Baldwin community, I am excited to not only expand on such initiatives and practices, but also to benefit from the enriching and diverse experiences of all the scholars and mentors.
At Duke, I hope to pursue some combination of Economics, Finance, and Mathematics. My dad is a banker, and because of that I have always had an interest in learning about finance. I remember I was ten years old during the 2008 financial crisis, and after watching the news every night I would question my dad on topics such as what mortgage backed securities were and what exactly was the role of hedge funds in the crash. This curiosity led me to become a young reader of The Economist and to undertake a couple of finance related internships during high school.
Joining the Baldwin Scholars has helped me find a family away from home. I am continuously inspired by the accomplishments and opinions of the girls around me and I look forward to working with them to be a part of a generation of change, success, and leadership.