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Hey! I am Maya Robinson. I am Visual Studies major concentrating on literacy and communication. I grew up in a small, very green town in Vermont.

Duke has taught me many academic and un-academic lessons; the most important of them is to embrace any and all opportunities. My freshman spring I took a Focus course on Islamic studies, which took me to Saudi Arabia for two weeks. My experience in Saudi enabled me to go to Cairo, Egypt my sophomore summer to do a multi-media project on a paper making corroborative that empowers Coptic women by teaching them an art. Who knows where this stream of chances will lead next.

The experiences you had in high school can take you places at Duke too. I worked as a photography intern at my local paper for four years. Years of snapping pictures led to the chance to work as an intern at Nature’s Best Photography magazine the summer before Duke. I worked with them as an Associate Editor my freshman summer. These internships prepared me to work as Photo Editor of The Chronicle, Duke’s daily independent newspaper my sophomore year. This fall I will be in NYC with “Duke in New York,” an arts and media study away program. Without working for The Chron, the possibility of studying in the Empire City might not have happened: one thing builds into another.

Back in Vermont I volunteered in local and global service projects and these experiences qualified me for the DukeEngage student advisory board. I have been on the board since my freshman year. I taught the DukeEngage House Course about civic engagements sophomore fall. This summer I’ll be participating in DukeEngage in Seattle.

I have tried to embrace all the opportunities presented to me, but I could not have done so without being supported in my efforts and adventures by the Baldwin family. Being a Baldwin has given me the courage to create my own path by putting myself out there. Chances rarely come to you; you need to put yourself in the way of new learning experiences. No communities begin to parallel the Baldwin family on campus; they are always there for you! All Baldwins have different paths, but the root of our explorations lies in the creative and compassionate support we receive from each other.

If you have any questions about Duke, Baldwin or just want to chat feel free to email me at maya.robinson@duke.edu.