Coming to Duke as a freshman, I thought I had the answers. I knew I wanted make a difference in the world and had a very concrete mindset on how I was going to do it. I was going to study neuroscience and become a doctor, simple as that! I had never considered that there would be other ways that I could be a good global citizen. Soon, this very narrow path I had set out for myself would be shaken. Turns out I’m actually pretty bad at chemistry and biology. On top of that, I’m not even that interested.  I soon realized that the only answer I came to Duke with, that I was going to be a doctor, was false. I had come in with such a fixed mindset of success. Under that definition, I had failed. I realized that in having such a concrete mindset, my path was quick to shatter.

I spent my second semester trying to re-evaluate my path and how I was going to use it to make a difference in this world. So I started from ground-zero and enrolled in classes in majors I had never even heard of. I realized that not only did I know nothing about the world, I didn’t even know how many different lenses you could view the world through.  I soon found myself immersed in Global Health, Psychology, and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist studies. And for the first time, I felt passion in what I was studying. Maybe I could use these fields of study to make a difference in the world.  I came out of freshman year reeling. For the first time, I felt that I didn’t have any answers.  And for the first time, I knew that it was that I didn’t need to.

As a sophomore, I came in with questions. How am I going to make a difference in the world? What am I interested in? This flexibility allowed me to merge the paths of passion and my desire to one day make an impact. I declared my majors in Global Health and Psychology with a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. I did this thinking that following the path that I am most passionate about will result in me being able to achieve the most good. This path has resulted in so much information, but more than that, never ending questions. What does making a difference in the world mean?  Why should I make a difference? Very light stuff.

So that’s where I’m at right now, on this path filled with questions. I came to Duke confident with answers, when in fact, I didn’t even know, what quite I was answering. I have learned that to limit myself to the confines of black and white answers to black and white questions, I will have done myself a disservice and not taken advantaged of everything Duke has to offer. The questions that have patterned my endeavors at Duke are “How will I make a difference in the world” and “What is my responsibility as a global citizen to make a difference?”.

These questions have lead me here, having the honor to be a part of the Moxie 2018 Project with DukeEngage and working with Girls for Gender Equity. I am so thrilled and honored that my path has led me to such an amazing opportunity. If I have learned anything, it’s that I need to come into it with questions.

So here we go.

How can I be the best intern possible for Girls for Gender Equity?

Do I see myself working in the non-profit world?

Am I interested in public policy?

Or do I want to be a lawyer?

Or both?

Who can I learn from this summer? From Girls for Gender Equity, to the Moxie Project, to the bounds of New York City.

What can I learn from the city itself this summer?

How does this work align with my passions?

How does this work align with being an actor of good in this world?

How can I be my best self?

I will attempt to answer these questions this summer, and hopefully have more questions than answers.