
Belk Scholars Alumni
Belk Alumni Share Their Experience
Belk Alumni reflect on the how the John M. Belk Scholarship impacted their time at Davidson. They share how the lessons learned while being Belk Scholars have positively influenced their careers.
Jordan Starck '12
Majors at Davidson: Psychology and education
Doing now: Ph.D. Candidate, Princeton University
Sydney Kornegay '11
Major at Davidson: Political science
Doing now: Director of Refugee Responses Adult Programming
Whitney White '08
Major at Davidson: Anthropology
Doing now: Innovation Leader and Founder at Take Back Your Time
Stephen Kaliski '07
Major at Davidson: English major and theatre minor
Doing now: Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Davidson College
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Rahael Borchers '15 I chose Davidson for happiness. Many schools offer rigorous learning experiences, but to me, Davidson felt different because of a community I deeply admired, the warmth I felt during my visit, and the strong emphasis on integrity, social justice, and community service. Davidson gave me four blissfully happy years, surrounded me with people I hope to become more like, immersed me in different cultures and ways of thinking, challenged me to grow and contribute both inside and outside the classroom, and helped me discover the ways in which I also hope to "live a life of leadership and service." |
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Mustafa Abid '15 At Davidson, we were immersed in a campus where people are always excited to share and learn from new ideas. Built on a community that values connection and friendship, I will forever look back with gratitude on four years of building lifelong friendships while also getting to really pursue my intellectual interests, wherever they lead me. Central to this experience was that of being a Belk Scholar—not only was the support of the scholarship and its stipend central to my Davidson journey and its many adventures, but the community and learning built around the Belk Scholar experience facilitated much of the growth I experienced as a student at Davidson. |
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Arielle Korman '17 As a proud New Yorker at 18 (I still hold that pride!), I knew I wanted to experience living somewhere different from what I knew for college. On my tour of Davidson, I was told that for half the students at Davidson, it's the most religious place they've ever been, and for the other half, it's the most secular. In my time at Davidson I was deeply involved in Jewish life and leadership. Meeting other students grappling with religion, being empowered to help determine the future of Jewish life on campus prompted me to stretch and grow. I bring a Jewish identity so influenced by my time at Davidson with me in my current position as Executive Director and Co-Founder of Ammud, the Jews of Color Torah Academy, a Jewish educational organization for Jewish people of color, by Jewish people of color. |
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Brian Aoyama ‘09 I chose Davidson because it was a community that would challenge and change me. When I visited campus, I most admired the warmth and kindness of students: their drive was rooted in character and a genuine commitment to one another. After entering as an ‘undecided’ major, Davidson gave me the flexibility to design an interdisciplinary major that combined political science, anthropology, and Chinese under the guidance of three phenomenal professors. The Belk Scholarship made it possible for me to pursue these new interests outside the classroom through language study, international conferences, and fieldwork. The most lasting gifts of the Belk Scholarship, though, are the friendships that have endured long after graduation. The friends I made at Davidson continue to ground, challenge, and inspire me in their commitment to deploying their gifts in the service of others. |