
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 at Princeton University
Stephen Kaliski '07
Major at Davidson: English major and theatre minor
Doing now: Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Davidson College
Whitney White '08
Major at Davidson: Anthropology
Doing now: Innovation Leader and Founder at Take Back Your Time
Sydney Kornegay '11
Major at Davidson: Political science
Doing now: Director of Refugee Responses Adult Programming
Rahael Borchers '15
Major at Davidson: Political science, international studies minor
Doing now: Completed Goucher College’s Post-bacc Premedicine Program, and current medical student at the University of Pennsylvania
Brian Aoyama '09
Major at Davidson: East Asian Studies (Center for Interdisciplinary Studies)
Doing now: MBA Candidate at Stanford Graduate School of Business (2021 Siebel Scholar, Arbuckle Leadership Fellow)
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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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Nick Carney '11 Although many colleges provide a fine education, few (if any) can match Davidson's dedication to cultivating an ethic of service among its students. The Belk Scholarship builds on that commitment, allowing you to fully embrace the countless opportunities that Davidson offers and to bring what you have learned in the classroom to real-world settings far beyond campus. I owe much of my personal and intellectual growth to opportunities provided by the scholarship, and will always be grateful for the chance to be part of the inspiring Belk Scholar community. |
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Jessie Li '15 When I visited Davidson as a prospective student, I fell in love with the tight-knit community. That sense of fellowship remained true throughout my time at Davidson, where I formed lifelong friendships and took classes and workshops with brilliant and devoted professors, many of whom I continue to stay in touch with. The support of the Belk Scholarship, in particular, allowed me to pursue writing and journalism wholeheartedly and gave me the opportunity to take internships and study abroad multiple times, in India, Italy, England, Hong Kong and China. |
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Nate Harding '17 The Belk scholarship gave me permission to let go of anxieties around financing my degree and my future and to instead fully devote my time and attention to engaging the abundance of opportunities for self-discovery and growth that every course, every relationship, and every experience seemed to offer. My time as a Belk Scholar at Davidson thus not only solidified my commitment to living a life of leadership and service, it exposed me to the ways in which that commitment can manifest differently for people navigating life in different bodies and different circumstances and enabled me to acknowledge and to celebrate both the richness of our diversity and the shared humanity that unites us all. |
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Bethany Kirkpatrick '19 I miss Davidson for the conversations: never knowing what would be said, always leaving more thoughtful and more curious. Davidson gave me the chance to surround myself with people who deeply valued knowledge and learning, but who wanted to use that knowledge to do something. It's a culture of passion and conviction, where I learned to notice problems and to ask better questions about them. I'm so thankful for the friendships I made, the professors who still answer my emails, the community I built, and the humility that comes from always having something to learn. |