As the granddaughter of Wheat Street Baptist pastor William Holmes Borders Sr., I knew growing up in the cradle of the Civil Rights movement of Atlanta would present me with challenges. After all, being one of the first eight Black students to integrate The Westminster Schools was certainly a double-edged sword. Some days I looked forward to the possibilities, and others, I endured the N-word. While my dream of becoming a doctor like my father never faltered, constantly looking over my shoulder made it difficult to indulge my curiosity or even gain the confidence I would need for college.
Coming to Duke changed that. It changed everything.
I’d chosen Duke to study natural sciences and pursue “the ministry of medicine.” But for the first time in my life, because I didn’t have to worry that someone would attack me physically or intellectually, I had the space not just to gain confidence, but to consider my options. I had an incubator to grow, to pivot, and to fearlessly explore what I really wanted out of my life. Natural sciences led to the social sciences, and ultimately to the realization that I didn’t have to do only one thing. I could excel in a number of fields including health care, sports, public service and more. But when you’re a woman, and especially a Black woman, being an omnipreneur can evoke that double-edged sword. Many may say you’re spread too thin, that your focus is diffused, or that more than one specialty means you are a master of none. Fortunately, Duke laid a strong academic and experiential foundation without stereotypical boxes – because for me, Duke was a safe haven, a sanctuary and a place where I discovered my enlightened path to what is now a “ministry of multitudes.”