It was at Duke where the desire to pursue a career in law was born, where I cheered on the Blue Devils at Cameron Stadium, where I fell in love with our campus in the Duke Gardens, and where I forged lifelong friendships with my sorors of the Lambda Omega chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
And it was at Duke where I started to hear the call to serve. I’ve spent my life answering that call – first as an elected prosecutor, then as Prince George’s County (Maryland) executive, and now as a United States senator.
Through every step of public service, I have learned that most of us want the same things: to access economic opportunity for our families, live in safe and affordable communities, access quality education, and get the health care we need.
When I think about what it means to serve in this challenging time, I focus on those unifying needs. To answer the call to serve is to work every single day to answer those needs. Duke instilled in all of us the values of respect, trust, inclusion, discovery and excellence. It is our shared responsibility to lead with those values. I am so grateful for my time at Duke. When I walk through these Senate halls, I am walking through them as a proud Blue Devil.