Series

Senior Stories, Class of 2017

Profiles of graduating seniors discussing their Duke experiences

Jennifer Acosta: “DukeImmerse gave me the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. for the first time,

Jennifer Acosta: Learning Through DukeImmerse

Jennifer Acosta Hometown: Polk City, FL...

Kelly Aghayere: Graduating from Duke is a blessing from God and a culmination of the hard work and sacrifice of my parents. I’m thankful for my parents and my family, and graduation is as much of their accomplishment as it is mine.

Osasenaga 'Kelly' Aghayere: Giving Back Each Opportunity He Received

Osasenaga "Kelly" Aghayere Hometown:...

Jonathan Aisenberg: Duke has given me the academic flexibility to pursue the arts as a career path while also taking diverse classes in history, public policy, statistics and computer science,”

Jonathan Aisenberg: Diving Into Academics and the Arts

Jonathan Aisenberg Hometown: New York, NY...

Ashan-wa Aliogo: “Through my academic and social experiences, I came to learn and understand that genuine fulfillment came from practicing wellness and conscious, intentional living/decision making - from the classes I took down to the opportunities I pur

Ashan-wa Aliogo: Fashion With a Social Edge

Ashan-wa Aliogo Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria...

Matt Alston: My favorite Duke memory is spending the summer in Mountain View, CA learning the disruptive innovation frameworks for entrepreneurship, and visiting several Silicon Valley tech companies through the Duke in Silicon Valley program.

Matt Alston: Coding and Research With an Eye Toward Silicon Valley

Matt Alston Hometown: Atlanta, GA...

Uzoma Ayogu: “Releaf aligns so perfectly with what I feel called to do, which is technology to help the over 1 billion people that are underserved,” he said. “I feel so strongly about using technology to make life more livable and not just more convenient

Uzoma Ayogu: Technology to Make Life More Livable

UZOMA AYOGUHometown: Cape Town, South Africa (Jos,...

Tara Bansal: Duke has taught me to think not just about how things are but how they can be. This type of boundless ambition will stay with me.

Tara Bansal: Thinking About How Things Can Be

Tara Bansal Hometown: Long Island, New York...

Lauren Blanchette: Duke has helped me realize where I want to go next. The path I’ve chosen is wildly different than the one I imagined four years ago, and I will be forever grateful to the incredible faculty and students here for challenging me to grow

Lauren Blanchette: Building Education Opportunities for Girls in Appalachia

Lauren Blanchette Hometown: Pomaria, SC...

“To be surrounded by my friends making beautiful music in such a gorgeous part of the world was one of those memories that I know I’ll treasure forever.”

Katie Becker: The Study of Truth, Beauty and Social Justice

Katie Becker Hometown: Bellevue, WA...

Logan Beyer: It’s helped me to realize the power of this place isn’t necessarily in the endless intellectual pursuits or leadership or research opportunities, but in the people you come to love and that love you in return. More than anything, that is what

Logan Beyer: Truman Scholar Builds on Child Development Research

Logan Beyer Hometown: New Bern, NC...

Kirsten Bonawitz: I think I was really drawn by the emotional component that drives this kind of research because in the end, the main goal is to help people who suffer from devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s

Kirsten Bonawitz: Drawn to Genetics and Alzheimer's Disease Research

Kirsten Bonawitz Hometown: Stevensville, Michigan...