Class of 2028

Will Brown

• Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
• Major: Undeclared
• Will Brown is a freshman undergraduate from Lexington, Kentucky. With deep roots in Appalachia, Brown is eager to share his culture with others and learn about theirs. Will Brown is driven by a love of learning and a competitive spirit. Brown has an open mind about what he will study, and is excited by just about everything. Once he decides that, there’s only one question left: will Will Brown brown and decay, or will he flourish and thrive in this new chapter of his life?

Sofia Cagina

• Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
• Major: Undeclared
• Sofia performed medical research in Dr. Papas lab at the University of Arizona in the Institute for Cellular Transplantation regarding a treatment for type 1 diabetes through islet encapsulation. She wrote a paper with the University of Arizona about the optimal oxygen levels to keep islets alive in an islet encapsulation and has been exposed to/worked with biomedical systems in optimizing microscopes for gram staining and interpreting whole sample images at the University of Pennsylvania. Sofia is extremely interested in biomedical engineering, stem cell therapies in controlling mitochondrial function and reversing autoimmune disorders, immunology, synthetic biology, gene editing, and how to treat/help people struggling in the health industry.

Linda Garziera

• Hometown: North Charleston, South Carolina
• Major: Undeclared
• Linda Garziera is an incoming freshman at Duke University, currently pursuing a degree in Economics. Having lived in Italy, England and the United States, Linda has developed a palate for cultures and a curiosity to better understand the connections between people, countries and world events. Because of this, she was an active member in her high school, writing and publishing her first book “The Bejeweled Chameleon,” and leading community service projects; she has interned at an aquarium, is head editor of a literary journal and is looking to join athletic, creative and innovative clubs at Duke. In all aspects of her life, Linda enjoys weaving her passions together and asking questions to satisfy her curiosity about the world.

Michelle Giffoni-Albor

• Hometown: Orlando, Florida
• Major: Undeclared
• Michelle Giffoni, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, moved to Orlando, Florida at an early age. She is passionate about the Mathematics and Visual Media and aspires to intertwine these fields in her future work. Outside of academics, Michelle enjoys ceramics, reading and discussing literature, and exploring film. With experience as a mathematics and writing tutor, and having built EduKT, an online platform supporting Hispanic families navigating the American education system, Michelle is dedicated to a career that blends academia and the arts while advocating for increased access to post-secondary education for Latino students. 

Sia Maredia

• Hometown: Spring, Texas
• Major: Undeclared
• Sia Maredia was born and raised in Spring, Texas. She is interested in cultural anthropology and ethnography, as well as health sciences, especially human anatomy and physiology. Outside the classroom, she enjoys competitive fencing, providing educational opportunities through volunteering, watching kdramas, and building intricate LEGO sets. She has explored medical anthropology through her research on the prevalence of bladder issues among high school teachers. In the future, she plans to go to medical school and eventually work as a pediatrician.

Anna Ortwein

• Hometown: Esslingen am Neckar, Germany
• Major: Undeclared
• Anna Ortwein is an incoming undergraduate student from Germany. She took a gap year to focus on politics and was able to do a traineeship at the Vice President of the European Parliament’s office. Additionally, she also worked part-time for the state parliament in her region and also ran for the European Parliament. At Duke, she wants to dive into the intersection of politics and economics. She also loves learning foreign languages, and is passionate about soccer/football and can name every German goal from the World Cups.

Maria Torres

• Hometown: St. Cloud, Florida
• Major: Undeclared
• Maria was born in Caracas, Venezuela and immigrated to FL, USA at age 10. Her life experiences have inspired her to pursue a career in immigration law, therefore leading her to major in International Comparative Studies while also fostering her academic interests in political science, religion and gender studies. In her free time she enjoys running and reading.

Claire Ziemba

• • Hometown: Celebration, Florida
  • Major: Undeclared
  • Claire Ziemba is recognized as the 2024 Osceola County Youth Volunteer of the Year for her efforts as student government body president to foster a positive school culture. She initiated an annual positivity week to address mental health, fundraised for various cancer research foundations, and founded the PEA Project which fundraised for Ukraine relief as a recognized UNICEF event. In her spare time she volunteers at Disney’s Wilderness Preserve and Broken Tee Ranch caring for animals, while also being an active mental health listener for 7Cups. Outside of her volunteer work, Claire loves tennis, fishing, marketing, and business. Claire plans to major in economics with a minor in finance and a Markets & Management certificate while on the pre-law track.