Class of 2022
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Majors: Biology, Environmental Science
Certificate: Marine Science and Conservation Leadership
Hobbies: Reef conservation, Marine Predator Behavior, SCUBA diving, Dance (pure fun), Alleviating global hunger
Why Duke?
My list of accomplishments through Duke University started after my freshman year. I participated in DukeEngage-Thailand where I took part in two core projects. The first component was teaching English to the staff where I was staying. I was working with the housekeeping staff who were incredibly eager to learn. The second component involved sea turtles. The Royal Thai Navy has a Sea Turtle Headstart program where they raise turtle hatchlings and release them at a certain age. Days at the base involved cleaning tanks, cleaning the turtles themselves, and assessing hatchling health. I also designed several pieces of enrichment for the turtles such as lettuce gardens and rafts for the juveniles. My participation in DukeEngage continues as I now serve as a guide providing advice for prospective participants.
Before the pandemic forced us all to go home, I was enjoying a semester at the Duke Marine Lab, pursuing some of my most enjoyable courses yet. The highlight is Marine Ecology which was a travel course in Australia. During this time, I had a small pristine research station situated on a reef island as my lab. I snorkeled every day on the Great Barrier Reef and conducted a small observational study involving resident sharks.
Outside of academics, I modeled in Jabulani my freshman year, served on the Black Student Alliance's Programming Committee for two years, and have worked with DIRA to run Model UN conferences both in person and virtually.