The Chronicle, Duke’s student-run news organization, recently published a feature by Sarah Diaz, who interviewed three students about their experiences in DukeEngage programs. Common themes across the students’ stories included the value of partnership and cultural exchange.
In DukeEngage Eswatini, Duke and Cornell engineering students worked with local community members to build a water sanitation system. Bea Hardacre E’28 recalls how the students and Swati people grew closer. During breaks, one of their project managers taught the students Swati dances, culminating in a “runway dance” in a trench on the project site.
In DukeEngage Korea, students teach English language skills in schools for refugee children. During her time in Seoul, Cassatt Boatwright T’28 says that her students told her that they became more capable of making connections with strangers and developed a stronger sense of trust. “It’s so monumental that their mentalities or ideas could shift in such a short amount of time,” she says, “and it really warmed my heart and reminded me that I can actively do good.”
In DukeEngage Brazil, students work with the Bantu Cultural Institute to empower youth and raise awareness about racial and social injustice. Dylan Patterson T’28 says that his most meaningful experience in Brazil came from the relationships he built with three teenagers at the community center. At first reluctant to test their English speaking skills, he says they became more comfortable throughout the eight weeks that he was there.
To read more about these students’ experiences, read The Chronicle article.