“Stick with it.”
—Dorothy Kitchen,
Duke University String School
What does it take to lead a fulfilling life?
Duke Today asked faculty, staff and alumni to share advice with this year’s graduating class. Here are 14 of their responses, illustrated by Duke Today designer Jonathan Lee.
“Stick with it.”
—Dorothy Kitchen,
Duke University String School
“Give back—serve from a sense of gratitude.”
—Sue Wasiolek,
Dean of Students
“Be true to yourself. Be willing to learn and to be coachable.”
—Prim Siripipat ’03,
ESPN Commentator
“Read outside of your chosen field, read broadly, read enthusiastically. Creativity is a necessary life skill and some inspirations will come from unexpected sources.”
—Jan Little,
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
“Be generous to other people.”
—Nia-Malika Henderson ’96,
National political reporter for The Washington Post
“Never confuse being educated with being smart.”
—Michael Evans,
School of Nursing
“As you move forward into the next stage of your life, do not forget to stop and look back to discover the meaning of where you have been. That will help you better understand who you are, where you may be heading, and how you can get there.”
—David Steinbrenner,
Postdoctoral Services
“Don’t be afraid to diverge from your ‘plan.’ Embrace ambiguity. The uncertain and what may appear high risk in relationships, jobs and life is usually very cool and worthwhile.”
—Christopher Simmons,
Office of Federal Relations
“Find a place where you can be challenged. Ask yourself: Am I proud of my work?”
“Learn to reframe rejection. Whether you’re working towards a leadership position or building a company, people will frequently tell you no. Instead of seeing it as a shutdown, look at it as an opportunity to figure out why. Are you asking the wrong person? Have you not yet demonstrated you can handle the new responsibility? Over time, ‘no’ becomes just another opportunity to wait, learn and try again.”
—Kathryn Minshew ’08,
Co-founder of The Muse
“Respect people over job titles. Everyone’s life has meaning.”
—Stacy Torian,
Graduate School Admissions
“You will get the more satisfaction about the relationships you form than from the things you acquire.”
—Joel Rosch,
Center For Child and Family Policy
“People always obsess over big decisions (e.g., which job/ position to accept), but really, tomorrow will always be a blur. Plan with calmness, and then take the leap in the direction you think is best, knowing that there will rarely be a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but just a choice that leads to the next steps of life.”
—Professor Mohamed Noor,
Department of Biology
“Pay close attention. This is your life.”
—Professor Deborah Pope,
Department of English
Graphics by Jonathan Lee, Duke University Office of News & Communications. Inspired by the work of Jessica Hagy.
May 8, 2014
