With that one act of kindness, Squires says, her trajectory changed. Squires graduated on time and launched a career in finance that continues today, where in Charlotte she is the head of Diverse Segments at Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking and also an active Duke volunteer.

“Today, I'm motivated to give back to Duke to continue to repay what they paid me,” she said.

Squires was among the nearly 500 Duke alumni volunteers and donors who reflected on the difference Duke has made in their lives as part of a kickoff weekend Feb. 20-22 on the university’s campus celebrating the most ambitious campaign in Duke’s history.

“This weekend has shown us why we are made for this,” said Sonya Brathwaite ‘93. “You go anywhere, all over the world, you find Duke alumni. We can harness that and get everyone to put their stamp on this campaign.”

In the Duke Engineering Design POD, a 5,000-square-foot maker’s space that opened in 2017 to help Pratt engineering students ideate new engineering solutions, event attendees heard from students sharing their personal stories of using the POD to solve real-world problems for people.

There is a UV leak detector developed by sophomore Ben Barronton for technology company Nvidia to safeguard computer servers. There is a semi-autonomous vehicle sophomore Kylie Gancos created to house a ventilator for a baby who is learning to walk but cannot be more than five feet from the machine keeping her alive. There is a warming device for IV fluid by sophomore Zane Mannings that can be used in developing countries to reduce hypothermia in patients during surgery.

All of these prototypes are having real-world effects and were created by Duke undergraduates in the POD.

Manlio Valdés B.S.E.’88, who also serves as the vice chair of the Pratt School of Engineering Board of Visitors, said the work students do in the POD is inspiring.

“It is very impactful,” he said. “They are engaging with what real engineering looks like.”

In all, attendees explored dozens of spaces across campus—including the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences lab, the Duke Quantum Center, Duke Law clinics, the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship and more.

Attendees said they walked away feeling inspired to see the difference Duke faculty and students were making on campus and to hear how they were innovating solutions to global challenges across engineering, medicine, law, the environment and more. 

“I think being here has made me think even more critically about how can we invest in places that are offering hope,” said The Rev. Donna Claycomb Sokol M.Div.’00, former director of admissions at Duke Divinity School and the lead pastor of a church in Washington, D.C. “This is a moment that we have to seize—live into the very best of who we are and offer our very best.”

Throughout the weekend, attendees were also challenged to reflect on how Duke helped shape their lives and to consider how they might be part of helping Duke reach its ambitions through the historic campaign.

Geetha Sant ’86 of Saint Louis arrived at Duke determined to follow in her parents footsteps and become a doctor, but Sant changed her mind after a pivotal conversation with her academic adviser.

“He said, you know, you’re not here just to panic and do whatever you think you're supposed to do,” Sant said. “Why don't we take this opportunity to explore?”

That advice gave Sant the confidence to take a political science class and earn a bachelor of arts in that field. She went on to be an attorney and a law professor at Washington University School of Law and now serves as an advisor to entrepreneurs, businesses, and boards and as a coach for grant makers. She’s found her passion, and she wouldn’t be where she is today without Duke, she said.

“It's this campus where my story started and put me on a trajectory,” Sant said. “I am permanently indebted to Duke.”

As the weekend closed, campaign volunteers charged attendees with becoming ambassadors, taking what they had experienced during the weekend and sharing it widely.

“What Duke has figured out, what is clear in this campaign is the world around us changes. What are we going to do about it? What is Duke going to do about it?” said Lynne Wolitzer ’87, a member of a Duke task force working on a strategy for activating the Duke volunteer base during the campaign. “I think the challenge for each of us: Why do you believe in this campaign? What's your message? And when we are talking to anybody of any generation, help them find their ‘why’ and have the impact through Duke to really make a difference.”

Tre’ Scott ’15 of New York said he’s ready.

Duke launching a campaign during his 10th reunion year is perfect timing, he said, and he looks forward to the conversations he can have about the campaign with his classmates and fellow Duke volunteers. “It really feels like a full circle moment for the relationships that I've been able to build over the last 10 years,” Scott said.