Memories of the First Year at Duke

Checking in with three first-year students after a year of growth and learning

In August 2023, we wrote about three first-year students, Clare Meehan, Isabella Peralta and Siddarth “Siddu” Jandhyala, to learn their hopes and interests in coming to Duke. Last week, during the Bricks to Stone march symbolizing the forthcoming transition of first-year students to sophomores living on West Campus, we caught up with the three and heard how their experiences have played out and their expectations for their second year.

Here are the original stories when the three arrived on campus. Each took different paths to Duke: Clare got her first taste of Duke when, living nearby on a farm, she participated in a cosmology program here and set her sights on studying the universe; Siddu came here with an interest in studying equity and equality globally; and Isabella arrived as a biomedical engineering undergraduate thinking about a future in space medicine.