Who am I? Well, nice to meet you, my name is Yabesra (Yâ-bi-sira) Ewnetu (Ew-ne-to). I’m representing the lovely DMV (not the Department of Motor Vehicle Service, rather the DC Maryland Virginia Area). More specifically, I’m from Falls Church, VA. If my name or location wasn’t a giveaway, I am an Ethiopian-American immigrant. What may be a little shocking to know is that I come from a big family, more siblings than I can count on one hand. This meant in order to stand out, I couldn't just be good at something, I had to excel. This was true at home and at school, so growing up in such a competitive environment, I’ve come out of it ready to push myself to the academic rigor.
Although, it also meant I was often left in a limbo of genuinely caring, but feeling the pressure to excel alongside them. Now that I’m at college, I can’t express how much I wanted to find a support group of womxn, a community. My first time meeting the Baldwins, the ladies spent the entire conversation ready to help/answer our questions and showering each other with compliments left and right, and that was the moment I knew this was the crew for me. Now that I’m in the group, I can’t wait to go through the motions of college alongside such an amazing group. I can’t wait to make college memories and get the “college experience.”
Outside of Baldwin, I engage with Duke BSA Management to plan events, Duke Africa’s Mentorship Program, Duke DESTA to engage with my Ethiopian heritage, and East Campus Council (Bell Tower’s Representative) to help facilitate engaging events for fellow freshmen. Additionally, I intended to study Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering. My hope is to work on regenerative technology, expand the reaches of our current medical care systems, and create equitable care. Health, time and time again, has been one of the most important parts of a person's life, so I want to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to quality care whether they live in the United States or not. Additionally, with the current stressors of our medical system, I want to work on alleviating that by creating medical equipment to decrease the amount of medical professionals needed to perform various health tasks- streamline their services.
Outside of the academic realm, I'm Barbz (Nikki Minaj Stan) and Meg the Stallion. Sometimes, I like to switch up the language and listen to Bad Bunny or Annita. Additionally, whenever I’m stressed, I love to rewatch Modern Family, Suits, Grey Anatomy and The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. When I’m listening to music, you can usually find me lifting weights (I love the challenge of getting to a new PR).
With all that being said, I look forward to the future alongside my fellow Baldwins and can’t wait to start this new chapter with them.