What is a DukeEngage Convocation?

DukeEngage Convocation 2026 display I was on my way to Marketplace when I got the Google Calendar reminder. I had classes, club meetings, and a concert in K-Ville all packed into a cold Friday in February, and the DukeEngage Convocation was the last thing on my mind.

I didn’t even know what a DukeEngage Convocation was supposed to be. I’d already gone to an information session, read an article about DukeEngage DC (the program I was applying to), submitted my application, interviewed, and read the logistics section of the acceptance email. I also knew I would attend the DukeEngage Academy in March, where I’d learn what happens before, during, and after DukeEngage.

So what was the DukeEngage Convocation even for?

For one thing, meeting the students in my DukeEngage cohort. I was actually nervous to meet my fellow students. A lot of the internship placements in the D.C. program are online or hybrid, so my time in the city would be largely defined by these people. In other words, they would make or break the experience.

Through introductions, stories, and discussions of our favorite movies over dinner, I learned a lot about the people in my cohort. Our program director Eric Mlyn also asked us what kinds of group activities we would be interested in during our time in D.C., which sparked more conversation. We also met our program site coordinator, who lives in Washington, D.C. and knows the city well.

Considering we were mostly strangers an hour and fifteen minutes before, we bonded pretty well! Another student asked to be my roommate before the dinner concluded, and I happily said yes. I was relieved to know who I would be spending the summer living with.

Group of students talk and smile in their seats — After bonding with the other students in their cohort over a shared meal, DukeEngage Virgin Islands students chat before the convocation begins. Photo credit: Summer Steenberg.

After dinner, all the DukeEngage cohorts went to White Lecture Hall for an hour-long program emceed by Christine Folch, the faculty director of DukeEngage, and DukeEngage Academy Leader Shanell St. Brice. Shanell shared her experience in DukeEngage Kenya: she was a teaching assistant in a girls’ school, where she led clubs to get students more involved in school activities. She said that the experience shaped her academic career in important ways.

There was a Q&A with program directors David Schaad, Ashley Ward, and Anne-Maria Makhulu. David Schaad, an engineering professor who will lead bridge-building projects in Asheville, N.C., and Bolivia this summer, stressed the importance of students putting what they learn into practice, especially engineers focused on structural integrity. Ashley Ward, a heat policy expert who directs DukeEngage Virgin Islands, agreed that some things cannot be taught in a classroom, like working and communicating with community partners. Cultural anthropology professor and DukeEngage Cape Town director Anna-Marie Makhulu spoke on the value of being fully present in a place and engaging practically with people there.

Three pleasant looking professors sitting onstage with a mic — Program directors Anna-Marie Makhulu (left), Ashley Ward (center) and David Schaad (right) answer questions submitted by students through a QR code on the screen, providing insight into the DukeEngage experience.

The program directors also gave practical advice, advising students to pack weather-appropriate clothing and gear, as well as journals to help them reflect on their experiences.

Several DukeEngage alumni also shared their experiences. Max Roselli spoke about struggling to understand the local Spanish dialect during his eight weeks in DukeEngage Panama. Quickly branded as “Los Chicos de Duke,” students often needed a translator to understand what the locals were saying. However, once Max grew more comfortable with the language, he said he was able to connect with Panamanians over many shared meals and activities.

Student holds a microphone and talks to a crowd — Max Roselli shares his excitement about connecting with Panamanian community members during DukeEngage. He was able to do this by familiarizing himself with phrases he heard them say often, giving him a better sense of their dialect of Spanish. Photo credit: Summer Steenberg

Maddie Morrison shared how her perspective on community engagement changed as a result of her time in DukeEngage DC and an incident in which bystanders helped save her father’s life.

Tashiel Reid recited a spoken word poem that she composed about her time in DukeEngage Chicago, focused on the role of the arts in community health.

Student stands at a microphone on stage in front of a large crowd — Tashiel Reid performs a spoken word poem about her time working with an arts nonprofit in Chicago. The poem explores the way that access to art can improve a community’s health. Photo credit: Summer Steenberg.

After the Convocation, a big group of us went to K-Ville for the concert. I went to meet my friends, but I later saw someone from my cohort when I was getting off the C1 bus, and we exchanged a smile.

At a fast-paced school like Duke, I am glad I took time to reflect on what lies ahead, learn more about the DukeEngage program, and meet my incredible cohort.