Student Stories
Meet some of the many students who benefit from financial aid at Duke. You can listen to speeches from past scholarship and fellowship dinners or read profiles published in Duke Magazine and elsewhere. Or learn more about how Duke’s Financial Aid Initiative is making a difference.
Recent Scholarship and Fellowship Dinner Speakers
Kateri Zhu T’10
2008 Speaker
I showed [my college counselor] the list of colleges that I had been researching, but not having had the opportunity to visit any of them, I sheepishly told her that I really didn't know to where I should apply. She went down my list, and when she got to Duke, looked up at me and said, "Duke is a really good school, Kateri. Somehow every Dukie that I have ever met seems to bleed Duke blue." I didn't quite understand what she meant at the time, and I wouldn't have been able to guess that I would be presented with the opportunity to find out.
Mimi Kim T’09
2007 Speaker
Every day, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be at Duke, and I realize that without the financial assistance that I receive, I would not be here today. I am the first person in my family to attend college here in America. I was raised in Koreatown, Los Angeles, where the elementary school I attended is currently known for its high poverty rates among the children and their families. The majority of the students who attend Hobart Elementary School come from homes where English is not their first language and schooling is not stressed because the biggest concern is just trying to get by financially.
Diana Perez T’07
2006 Speaker
I am part of a community that attends public schools, is in a free lunch program, receives medical attention from free clinics, and realizes the most important obstacle in completing a higher education is money. It’s not that we don’t want to go to college; instead it is a fact that we are clueless as to what opportunities are out there for us. But not anymore because this family has contributed to my transformation into a collegiate ambassador, not just representing Duke University but representing this group of higher education institutions of which we only hear about every once in a while. With my knowledge and experience at Duke, I have become this role model for my community.
Other Student Stories
Meet some of the students who are benefiting from financial aid at Duke.
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“I could see myself at Duke.” Cory Massaro T'10
“I like exploring what’s out there.” Kassity Liu E’09
“I am incredibly proud to call myself a Duke Blue Devil.” Matt Williams T’09
“Medical students at Duke get involved with exciting and important research.” Andrea Tsai M'09
“I have such a full life at Duke.” Naomi Harris T'10
“Financial aid is vital to students who plan to enter a life of service.” Bryan Baker D'07
“At Duke, you have the chance to be original.” Andrew Tutt E'09
“I wouldn't be who I am without all that Duke has given me.” Nena Sanderson T'07
“When deciding on a school, I think most graduate students pay close attention to the financial aid being offered.” Kinohi Nishikawa G’08
“I'm so grateful for the chance Duke gave me to prove myself.” Ronnie Drummer T’08
“In conversations about global climate change, I want to be the scientist at the table.” Becca Ryals F’06
"When I visited Duke, I could see myself here." Luke Stewart T'07
"It feels good to see something finished and be able to say, I helped build this." Jim Garnevicus E'06
“I see myself as a pastor of an urban church with a holistic ministry that includes economic development, community development and social entrepreneurship.” Chris Brady D'06
"The fact that students here are admitted based on individuality and talent instead of financial capacity makes this institution one of the greatest."Ryan Sparrow E'07
"I feel truly blessed for the academic and professional opportunities that my scholarship has opened up for me."Grace Shih T'08
"I wouldn't be here without financial aid. Duke costs more than my mom makes in a year."Joycelyne Absolu T'08
"When you're in the arts or entering academia, you can't expect to make much money. Financial aid lets graduate students take risks we might not otherwise be able to take."Carl Schimmel G'07
"His scholarship means so much to me. I want him to know who he's helping."Emily Crutcher T'06
"It is fiscally irresponsible to come out with a level of debt that is almost impossible to manage on your own."Kelley Hutcheson T'97, M'06
"Someone has been giving to me throughout my life."Mary Reid Ervin T'06
"I just wanted a chance to make my own way through school. I'm not asking for easy-just for possible."Aaron Johnson T'07
"Duke has given me incredible opportunities to explore different paths--and the financial aid has definitely taken a burden off my mom."Danielle Danae Plattenburg T'07
"My ultimate, ultimate goal is to run a hospital."Naomi Jean-Baptiste T'05
Instead of going to nightclubs, graduate student James H. Esterline hangs out at the Duke Free Electron Laser Laboratory.James H. Esterline
"I'm far from the country girl I used to be."Eileene Braxton T'08
Jonathan B. Bird's intellectual journey as a doctoral student dates back to a discussion in his junior high social studies class.Jonathan B. Bird