Duke University Announces Class of 2014 Baldwin Scholars

Eighteen first-year women have been selected to participate in the Alice M. Baldwin Scholars Program for undergraduate women and leadership at Duke University.

"Once again, we had a large and outstanding group of applicants this year, which led to difficult choices," said Donna Lisker, co-director of the Baldwin Scholars program. "We selected women with high self-awareness and a record as agents of change in their schools and communities. They are a remarkable group by any measure."

The four-year experience incorporates academic seminars, a residential experience, an internship and mentoring opportunities. With 18 women in each class, the program is fully subscribed with 72 participants.

The Class of 2014 participants, who hail from 13 states and one U.S. territory, will enroll in the first academic seminar, "Perceptions of Self, Society and the Natural World" in January.

The Baldwin Scholars program was created in 2004 in response to the Women's Initiative research project, which investigated the quality of life for women at all levels of the institution. The researchers found among undergraduate women such trends as lower self-esteem, few women in top student leadership positions and the "effortless perfection" phenomenon, in which students reported pressure to be successful in their academic, career and social endeavors while hiding the effort involved.

The participants were selected from a pool of 129 applications and were interviewed by program staff and current Baldwin Scholars.

The Class of 2014 participants, by state, are:

ARIZONALauren Carroll of Phoenix

HAWAIILeilani Doktor of Honolulu

MARYLANDShweta Shukla of Cockeysville

MASSACHUSETTSAlexandria Lattimore of Chelmsford

MINNESOTAAnna Koelsch of Mendota Heights

MISSISSIPPIDevesha Solanki of Madison

NEW HAMPSHIREEmily Davis of Hollis

NEW YORKValentine Esposito of Saint JamesKamika Shaw of East ElmhurstJessye Waxman of Great Neck

NORTH CAROLINAAudrey Adu-Appiah of CharlotteRebekah Johnston of JacksonvilleXueyang Wang of Cary

OHIOAmelia Wise of Powell

TENNESSEEAndrea Lewis of Gallatin

VIRGINIAGrace Benson of Blacksburg

VIRGIN ISLANDSElizabeth Tobierre of Kingshill

WASHINGTONFlora Muglia of Mercer Island

For more information, visit the Baldwin Scholars website.