Home: New York City. Age: 21. Birthplace: New York City. Profession: College student. Organization: Duke University. Pronouns: She/her/hers.
Recent recognition: That I’m a thoughtful person. Recent professional development: Completing my internship. Latest accomplishment: Finishing my third year at Duke and completing my internship. Hobbies: Trying new restaurants with friends, playing with my dog, reading and Pilates. Recent travel or adventure: Traveling abroad and visiting 14 countries. Last book read: Strangers, by Belle Burden.
Personality profile: Extroverted, energetic, intellectual, curious, ambitious, thoughtful and extremely funny. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Loyal. Moral compass: What will people say about me when I’m not in the room? How do you define a perfect friendship? Someone who will defend you in public but tell you in private when you’ve screwed up. What is your greatest joy? My dog, Scout. What natural talent have you neglected? Writing. What is at the top of your bucket list? Visiting Japan. How do you relieve stress? Spending quality time with friends.
What was your first paying job? Internship with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). What was your favorite college course? American Foreign Policy. What book have you repeatedly read? The Aeneid, by Virgil; On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? My Latin teacher from middle school through high school. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Find people and places that will invest in your mentorship and growth. What is your favorite app? Beli, a restaurant-ranking app. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Growing up with older parents and two much older half-sisters.
What change would you like to see in the world?
A decrease in antisemitism.
What message do you want to send out into the world? Talk to each other. Disagree, discuss and learn from one another rather than hide behind a computer or cancel someone with a different view. What widely held belief do you reject? That every opinion deserves respect. Every opinion deserves to be heard, but respect should not automatically extend to views that are uninformed or bigoted. What mega-trend most concerns you? Gen Z becoming less interpersonal and increasingly reliant on technology and social media for connection. What would you tell the next generation? Don’t confuse happiness with convenience. The best things in life will always require effort.
Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Vincent van Gogh. I’d love to tell him how celebrated his work became and ask whether knowing that would have changed how he saw himself or the world. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? First an entrepreneur, so I could be my own boss, then a biomedical engineer making prosthetics for veterans. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? Blankey, the blanket I was brought home from the hospital in as a baby. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? At home and walking around New York City, eating great food with my parents, Scout and my best friends. What advice would you give your younger self? It’s all going to work out and you’re stronger than you think. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? My 21st birthday in Paris. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? College freshman year.
Personal mission: To create meaningful impact by solving difficult problems, leading with character and leaving every person and organization better than I found them. Favorite quote: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” (frequently attributed to Winston Churchill). Desired epitaph: She lived a life of courage, curiosity and compassion. How do you hope to be remembered? She pursued excellence without losing her kindness, led without ego and never stopped learning.
