Alice Chen Hopes to Build Community Through Volunteer Work in Durham

A sense of belonging is what drew Chen to Duke

New Devils Alice Chen with photo of her wearing blue devil horns

This is part of a series of stories about our newest Blue Devils.

Coming from Waukesha, a small suburb outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Alice Chen wants a sense of belonging. It’s one of the reasons she chose to take part in Project BUILD, one of Duke’s 21 Experiential Orientation programs that incoming students can participate in during orientation week.

“I was apprehensive about coming into a new community so quickly,” said Chen. “I felt like participating in a strongly established program like BUILD, which has really good traditions, made for bonding between different people in the group, would be a great introduction to my new home at Duke."

BUILD assembles small groups, or “crews,” of upperclassmen and first-year students who participate in outings in and around Durham, giving them a sense of the city. Participants volunteer for service projects.

This year, they volunteered at the Diaper Bank of North Carolina, the Duke Lemur Center, TROSA, Forest View Elementary and Iglesia Emanuel, among other nonprofits.

They also participated in fun activities such as roller skating in costumes, karaoke, bowling and attending Durham Bulls games. In addition to connecting with others, Chen says giving back is important to her. In high school, she was involved in service oriented organizations such as Key Club and National Honor Society. She plans to continue to volunteer after her week with BUILD.

“I want to join organizations at Duke that will help me volunteer on campus and off campus. I enjoy giving back to my community, so I hope to continue that not only in orientation, but also throughout my four years at Duke,” she said.

Chen also has played the violin for 11 years and plans to audition for the Duke Symphony Orchestra. Although she has only been in Durham once during Blue Devil Day, it was enough to leave a lasting impression.

“Duke is a beautiful campus. The first thing I noticed was that people are warm and welcoming,” she said. “Coming from a small town, I love how everyone is always caring to each other and, you know, that suburban feel of community. So, I wanted to find that same sense that I've always had growing up. And I found that at Duke. It really drew me there.”