If you ask me how I received the B.N. Duke Scholarship, I have one word for you- serendipity. The two best phone calls I have ever received were both from Don, telling me I was to be a finalist in the first, and had been chosen to be an actual scholar in the second. Those moments, to me, can only be described as serendipity- the phenomenon of finding things not sought for.

I visited Duke for the first time the summer before my senior year. I had already decided to apply beforehand- why not apply to such an academically great school that is only two and a half hours away from my home in Charlotte? My reasoning changed when I actually set foot on campus. My dad drove me up to Durham on quite possibly the hottest day of the summer for a campus tour. By the time our group had reached the Chapel, I was captivated. Duke was beautiful. Then I began to learn about all the wonderful programs Duke has to offer that went above and beyond any of the other schools I was looking at- like Duke Engage. I couldn’t even believe some of the crazily innovative things students were doing - like Duke DiVE, the coolest virtual reality project ever. I wore a permanent grin on my face the entire drive home.

Fast forward to the fall of my senior year- college application time. I was busy collecting teacher recommendations, taking my SAT subject tests, and applying for scholarships. One afternoon, my mom mentioned to me that Duke offered some full scholarships that she thought I should look into. First of all, I couldn’t even believe Duke offered full scholarships. Getting accepted was already a prize! So, I refused to look into these unattainably illustrious programs - I would be lucky if I even got in. I didn’t want to get my hopes up just to be disappointed. As you could imagine, I was completely dumbfounded to learn I had been invited to the finalist weekend of the scholarship I had never imagined would even consider me. A case of serendipity in action- I didn’t find the B.N. Program, they found me.

Now, after my first full semester of college, I can list dozens of great things about Duke that I never expected to find. On the first night of finalist weekend, I, by chance, happened to sit next to another finalist, Erin, on the first group outing. Now we are roommates, and I can honestly call her one of my best friends (Serendipity again?). Better yet, I have come to consider the rest of the B.N.’s, especially those in my own class, as family. And Duke, the amazing place that it is, has inspired me to do a few things that I never could have imagined myself doing. I have officially become a Cameron Crazie. Yes, the same girl in high school who resented going to any of her younger siblings basketball games is actually camping in a tent. For a basketball ticket. My definition of camping used to mean a Holiday Inn and a pull-out couch- now camping means a night in the freezing cold in K-Ville with all my best friends, and hopefully no more than two tent checks! Whether it is taking a class taught by one of my favorite authors (Ariel Dorfman) or getting to know my wonderful Kappa Alpha Theta sisters, Duke and all its students excite me and put a smile on my face every day. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined all this could happen to me.

P.S. Maybe, just maybe, if this wasn’t all due to serendipity, it was due to my amazing parents. Mom and Dad, if y’all hadn’t always pushed me and believed in me, I never would have gotten this far. I guess you both knew something about me that I didn’t when you believed that Duke and the B.N. program were within my reach. Perhaps I owe most of my serendipity to you.