Engineering professors, Sophia Santillan and Rebecca Simmons, have been crucial role models for Sydney Hunt as a Black and Hispanic woman in STEM. From the start of her first year, she spent time during office hours and lunches having conversations with them about diversity and retention in STEM fields.

When Jasmine Daniel became a Blue Devil, she immediately began to notice the complex relationship between Duke and Durham. She was already interested in research, community engagement and education, having participated in the Knowledge in the Service of Society (KISS) FOCUS cluster as a first year, so when she heard about a Bass Connections team that was strengthening university-community relationships through deep engagement with the Durham

While stepping into a new era with the Duke Climate Commitment, Duke also looks back on a long state history of environmental justice advocacy and the injustices that necessitate it.