For her series of reflections in poems and prose after participating in DukeEngage South Africa, Deborah Lendore T’26 won the Best Overall category in the 2025 DukeEngage Reflection Challenge.
Judges were moved and impressed by the way Deborah’s DukeEngage experience caused her to reflect on her own identity and growth, even as the stories of the migrants she worked with through the Refugee Rights clinic touched her heart.
Excerpts of her submission appear here.
Before starting my internship at the Refugee Rights Unit, I expected to gain hands-on legal experience, assist with paperwork, and maybe sit in on a few impactful meetings. I knew I would do consultations with clients on different cases, but I figured the professionals would handle the harder stuff and the heavy lifting. I imagined the role would be challenging, maybe even emotionally at times, but I didn’t anticipate becoming so deeply involved. I hadn’t realized how much advocacy relies not just on legal knowledge, but on empathy, patience, and persistence. I also underestimated how much I would learn about myself and my own resilience.
I met people who had endured years of uncertainty, crossed borders under unimaginable circumstances, and still carried hope in systems that had failed them repeatedly. The most impactful moments weren’t in team meetings — they were in the one-on-one conversations that always began the same way: “Hi, my name is Deborah, how may I assist you today?” My name may not be remembered, but the moments in between listening to someone’s story taught me that what I want in life is not just a well-paying job, but the chance to connect and truly show up.
“It was humbling to realize how small my impact could feel. But even then, I learned that care and commitment still mattered.”
I began to understand that showing up, really showing up, meant being present for people whose lives had been paused or derailed by bureaucracy and violence. I also didn’t anticipate how much I would wrestle with my own limitations. There were days I couldn’t fix a situation, couldn’t find the right words, or couldn’t make the system move faster. It was humbling to realize how small my impact could feel. But even then, I learned that care and commitment still mattered.
I didn’t always have the right words, but I had the right intentions. That commitment carried me a long way in connecting with clients. Sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, what matters most is simply connection, especially across differences. Even with my background being American and Grenadian, and theirs often vastly different, we still found points of similarity. Those connections reminded me why this work matters.
Three Haikus:
Words
Words fall into me,
Memories not truly mine,
I try to hold them.
Prayers
Not just paperwork,
Soft prayers between each line,
God is in the room.
Dream
Through this work I grow
I stand proud in who I am
My ancestors’ dream