Class of 2026

Selom BediakoSelom Bediako

  • Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Major: Neuroscience
  • Selom is a second-year undergraduate from Knoxville, Tennessee. She is intrigued by humans in all aspects from their physical well-being to their societal interactions, intersecting humanities and science. Selom currently hopes to study Neuroscience and Global Cultural Studies, with the ultimate goal of becoming a neurosurgeon and expanding health equity for marginalized communities. Outside of class, she is involved with the planning committee for the Black Student Alliance, DukeAfrica, LDOC, GANO, and Duke Remote Area Medical. Selom is excited to be part of the Baldwin Scholars. .

 

 

Karen Dong Karen Dong

  • Hometown: Frisco, Texas
  • Major: Interdepartmental Major: Computational Media (Visual & Media Studies and Computer Science)
  • Karen is interested in the intersection of economics, statistics, and health policy. She is a research assistant in the Woldorff Lab through the Cognitive Neuroscience Research Internship (CNRI) fall 2022 cohort, where she studied attention and conscious perception through collecting EEG data. She will also be a member of the Improving Cancer Control Equity in China Bass Connections Team. Outside of class, she is on the Polis Center for Politics Student Committee, serves as Blackwell House Council’s Communications Chair, and is a member of DTech. In her creative pursuits, Karen films with the Center for Documentary Studies and DUU Student Broadcasting, plays piano in the chamber music program, and sings with Temptasians, Duke’s Asian cultural a cappella group.

 

Alain Fornes Alain Fornes

  • Hometown: Miami, Florida
  • Major: Computer Science and Statistical Science
  • Alain is looking forward to the vast amount of resources and opportunities offered by the university to help him achieve his goals. Meeting and developing meaningful relationships with professors and other students, attending home sports games, and enjoying the beauty of Durham are among the top of his to-do list when he arrives in August. He is also looking forward to the culture of the university as a whole, as it’s something he has wanted to be a part of for a very long time now. The driving energy of the students and faculty really make Duke seem like the best place in the world, and he can’t wait to live, learn, and grow on campus.

 

 

Sarah Gorbatov Sarah Gorbatov

  • Hometown: Tenafly, New Jersey
  • Major: Biology (Concentration: Neurobiology) and Russian
  • Minor: Computer Science
  • Sarah Gorbatov, a second-year, comes to Duke from northern New Jersey, where she studied at a project-based institute and her passion for interdisciplinary learning was born. Currently, she is interested in pursuing a major in biology with a concentration in neurobiology and minors in philosophy and Russian. After graduating, she hopes to enroll in a Ph.D. program and continue her interdisciplinary interests through research. On campus, she is involved in the TedXDuke Organizing Committee, Sustainable Duke Sustainability Ambassadorship Program, Jewish Student Union First-Year Council, and Club Swim. She is very excited to take part in USP, where she can learn from and collaborate with an intergenerational, interdepartmental cohort of students and scholars.

 

 

Div Jain Divyansh Jain

  • Hometown: New Delhi, India
  • Major: Computer Science and Mathematics
  • The University Scholarship that I am receiving at Duke means the world to me. It has made it financially possible for me to attend this incredible institution and be a part of all the amazing opportunities it has to offer. Resources like research funding and grants in addition to all university expenses would allow me to better delve into subject areas that I am interested in, and help me better understand and contribute to real world issues around me. Additionally, I am excited to discover a community of fellow scholars who are equally motivated and passionate about a variety of subjects and committed to make a change for the world. I am eager to learn, be inspired and hopefully, share passions of my own with others.

 

 

Nathan Maldonado Nathan Maldonado

  • Hometown: Fresno, California
  • Major: Interdepartmental Major: Linguistics & Computer Science
  • Minor: Psychology
  • Duke students have the ability to take K’iche’ courses offered through the Less Commonly Taught Languages Program, and taking advantage of this opportunity encourages the preservation of my Maya heritage and connects me with others who share the sentiment of holding onto our history. While the older generation of my family, including my father, can speak our indigenous tongue, discrimination and violence have discouraged them from continuing the legacy of our culture. At Duke, I plan on expanding my knowledge in computer science and linguistics to conduct research and develop technology that can facilitate the conservation of indigenous and fleeting languages.

 

 

Casey Powell Casey Powell

  • Hometown: Cary, North Carolina
  • Major: Interdepartmental Major: Public Policy & Psychology
  • Minor: Chemistry
  • Casey is a second-year undergraduate student from Cary, North Carolina. He is intrigued by the intersection of medicine and public policy in areas like insurance coverage and medical access. Casey is combining a study of Public Policy with Psychology to better understand the individuals most impacted by health policy outcomes. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys skiing, debating, and volunteering at the Duke Emergency Department. Casey also plays alto saxophone and experiments with coffee concoctions. He works as a research assistant in a protein dynamics biology lab and hopes to explore cell signaling and DNA repair processes.

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