As the car drove up Chapel Drive in the spring of 1988, and I laid my eyes for the first time on Duke Chapel, the Main Quad and the dorms, I knew that I had found my place. In my lifetime, I have doubted many things, but I have never doubted my decision to attend Duke.
My first academic experience at Duke was being a public policy graduate student. My time in grad school was before the program became the Sanford School and its home a design masterpiece. Public policy school for me was housed in the old Science Building, and its first year was the most difficult educational pursuit of my life. But it is also the one that best equipped me for the challenges that I have navigated throughout my unusual career path. I often tell people that being a Duke Law grad means that no one ever questions my intellectual ability. However, being a Duke policy school alum means that no one and nothing can overwhelm me. Those degrees and what they unlocked in me are my secret superpower. They made me ready for all that has come after. Duke is also where I found my tribe. It’s where I made many of my closest friendships and met people who have become my family. Duke taught me the power of relationships and networks. I will forever be grateful for that lesson.