Duke Delta Sigma Pi, Durham, NC (2026)

04/23/2017

***Starring: Rachael Nedrow***
Q: How have you changed since coming to Duke?
A: I hope to have remained true to who I am and my values, but have hopefully developed and improved as a person during my time here by focusing on my development in those areas of my life I consider most important. I've tried to become more mindful of how I spend my time, so that I can try to make the most out of every moment by making sure I'm spending my time doing things that contribute to the kind of person I want to be--just building out that consistency every single day has been really helpful for me. Anyone who thinks, “I’m going to make this huge change right now” might be setting themselves up for failure and disappointment. It’s helped me to take everything step by step, not let myself get discouraged, and to avoid a black-and-white mentality. You can’t expect yourself to be perfect, and you’re doing better than you think. Have I figured out what I want to do with my life? No, but I’ve made some lifelong friends, developed perseverance and a stronger work ethic, and become a kinder, more open individual that tries hard to show respect to every person I interact with.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
A:
I want to be working for a company that does work I’m passionate about--one that has a mission of benefiting or empowering others and one that I feel that I have the unique abilities or knowledge to contribute to. Ideally, I would be in a role that is a well-balanced combination of the skills I have while being a part of a great culture of intelligent and driven people. Right now, I am really passionate about product management: figuring out what consumers need and creating a solution to fulfill those needs. Honestly though, life is confusing. I think people think that as a senior you have everything figured out, but no one is finished developing. As a senior, you realize there is a lot of stuff left. Like, I’m leaving but I haven’t done all the stuff that I want to do, or taken all the classes that I want, or met all the people I want. I love this place.

Q: What’s your fondest memory at Duke?
A:
Cup stacking at Countdown with Amile Jefferson in Cameron Indoor Stadium was really exciting because to me it epitomized my love for this school and my experience here. Just being on that legendary court, doing the thing that I love the most with people cheering me on--it’s a moment that’s almost surreal to me when I reflect on my Duke experience. People came up to me afterwards, telling me that they really liked it, and that was just amazing to me - it’s an honor that people would appreciate a crazy hobby of mine that’s such an important part of my identity. I had the entire Duke community behind my back and had never felt so connected to this school and the incredible people here.

Q: Who is someone you’re very close to within DSP?
A:
There are a few brothers in DSP that I’ve become close to, but Diana and I’ve really become great friends because we were in PUBPOL302 together with Charney as well as a History elective. My first impression of Diana was in our discussion section--I thought she was a really amazing and candid individual that seemed to truly care about making a positive difference. She made an announcement to our class about a philanthropic cause that she was really passionate about and you could just tell she really meant it--it wasn’t just another plug for her and I really respected that. And later on, Diana and I just really grinded together for all the quizzes and essay assignments that we had in Charney’s class.

Q: What does DSP mean to you?
A: DSP really helped me become closer to figuring out what I’ve wanted career-wise. I love how we created the sphere system because you’re really able to explore opportunities and learn from other brothers that have real experience. You can dabble in and learn about whatever business career you’re interested in. As a friend group, DSP has been an awesome pool of people to be around and be connected with. Even as a senior now, I look at certain freshmen, thinking about how they are already so talented, and how they will just go so far and accomplish so much. I love that our brothers in DSP are amazingly successful yet everyone is just really genuine and humble: no one takes themselves too seriously, no one actually thinks they’re the s**t. I think DSP represents the best of the best of those qualities that make Duke students great, and I’m really proud and grateful to have taken part in it.

04/22/2017

Thank you to Correlation One, Citadel Securities, and everyone who came out today to the Duke Datathon!

04/21/2017

Duke Datathon is in action!

04/19/2017

***Starring: Simon Song***
Q: How have you changed since coming to Duke?
A: As a senior, I’m more comfortable doing my own thing--really there’s no FOMO. I enjoy just taking care of myself, and hanging out with friends. I worry a lot less.

It’s also really strange when you go back home because your realize that whoever in high school isn’t your age anymore, all of your friends from back then are gone and doing their own thing.

Unlike Michael, my email has shot to 4,000, but that’s fine because Ellen Herd is still bae.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
A: New York. Peaking in financial independence. Drafted to the NBA. [laughter] Spending time with people. Going on some weekend or week long voyages. Like every month, I’d get out one weekend. To rejuvenate, reinvigorate myself. I really want to pick up more cultures and find inspiration for changing up my routine.

Q: What’s your fondest memory at Duke?
A: At the time, I didn’t know it would be my favorite memory. I had just met Ellen on the second day and definitely didn’t have the best first impression of her because of just the mood that I was in then, but that moment was actually pretty significant because it really made me realize that friendships pivot a lot from the first encounters.
In the span of those two days alone, I made some pretty lifelong friends. I met Akshat on that second day as well. And since then, college has been non-stop chaotic.

Our RA busted us once, but I’m definitely not complaining.
In my opinion, this university as a whole also has really helped me have an amazing time here at Duke. It has actually been really tolerant and was there for my safety. From those first two days alone, you were immediately swallowed in this Duke bubble, where the police officers were really there for your safety. And you definitely don’t have to look over your shoulder for certain things.

Damn, I also have another moment that I just remembered. My junior year in the fall, I packed way too many people--we were two or three times over the safety level defined by the fire department standard--into my central apartment. Again, I didn’t anticipate that this would be a “favorite memory” situation at the time--but upon reflection, I realize I was surrounded by a ton of close friends and soon-to-be close friends. One thing I do remember from that night though, was looking forward to an incredible year.

Also, Ellen gave me a tie that night.

Q: Who is someone you’re very close to within DSP?
A: Easily this answer belongs to Akshat. The summer before Duke started--Akshat was one of those people who posted on the Class of 2017 page--with his Myers Briggs test result. My friend thought he was really weird when he posted it. I took the test too though, and I actually think it was pretty ballsy that he posted to a bunch of strangers.

Then, when I moved in freshman year, I realized he was in my dorm. Initially, we were all in a big group chatting among each other. I really didn’t expect we would continue to be so close after that night.

We’ve been nothing but close though.

Last summer, I moved in with Akshat, and he’s just seen me in a ton of small moments. He know my habits. How I hate cleaning the bathroom. And he’s just seen me as a person, in the most dimensions out of anyone I know.

Q: What does DSP mean to you?
A: It’s served as a form of validation. When we were freshman, none of us imagine that DSP would ever become a thing, but today DSP is a huge part of Duke’s campus, and it’s living proof that four years of college haven’t just gone by for nothing.

In four years, you can really do something. You can really build an organization.
And it’s incredibly rewarding to see all that built up effort and energy materialize.

04/17/2017

***Starring: Michael Lee***
Q: How have you changed since coming to Duke?
A: I’ve changed a lot the past four years. For one, I’ve ditched the cargo shorts. [light laughter] In all seriousness though, I think I’ve become a lot more responsible. My email doesn’t build up anymore because by the end of the day, I usually manage to sift through them all. [smiles] However, over the course of a night, I somehow wake up to twenty new messages in my inbox again!

Anyhow, I’m also able to process stressful things in my life better; sudden shocks don’t disrupt me as much anymore.

In the end, I’ve realize how much I’ve grown as a person, especially when I go back home to Boise. So I feel extremely fortunate to be here at Duke.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
A: I could envision myself as someone out of the Urban Nomad Movement. Being self-employed, working freelance, starting my own company where I could work from anywhere. I would work out of a cafe and stay somewhere for a month. And my response is “maybe” to an MBA.

Q: What’s your fondest memory at Duke?
A: I really enjoyed throwing frisbees in the hall of my freshman dorm, but my favorite singular memory was actually meeting my girlfriend, Jeannie Chung. It started really organically--actually, it just started from a simply interaction, a “hello” or “hi”, something of that sort--we were at a beach retreat with Asian Students Association (ASA). Jeannie wasn’t even socializing. She was just sitting back reading some comic-type book. At the time, I was thinking to myself that was kinda weird, but I went on to ask her how she was doing.

To this day, I am really thankful that we had that interaction. She’s given me a lot of knowledge and insight because she’s two years older than me.

Oh! I just thought of another favorite memory. Another highlight would also have to be when I was a freshman. I was getting dinner with a friend of mine in the same FOCUS program and our professor. As we were coming back, my friend texted me that Brown dorm was on fire. Because of that incident, we lived in the really nice Fuqua dorms for a week and stole all their grapefruit drinks from their refrigerators and used their thousand dollar coffee machine.

Q: Who is someone you’re very close to within DSP?
A: I’m pretty close to Diana Ye. We became workout buddies this year but when I first met her I was a sophomore, and she was a freshman. We met through ASA because I was her “dad” in our ASA family. [laughter] And then my second memory of her was when she rushed DSP! I had totally forgot that she was in my ASA family, but then it hit me again when she rushed.

Q: What does DSP mean to you?
A: When I first joined DSP it was so small and barely had a presence on campus. Today, it feels like DSP is a brainchild of mine, of ours. It really exceeded my expectations and grew faster than I ever thought it would. When I initially joined, I actually felt a real urge to be in another professional association at the time, but the culture within DSP just seemed more authentic. Now, seeing that culture continue to persist and grow even more, I am so happy that I made the decision to be join DSP.

04/13/2017

***Starring: Ellen Herd***

Q: How have you changed since coming to Duke?
A: I’ve developed a more tolerant perspective and a more diverse understanding of the world. Coming from your hometown, you are exposed to a couple things that you know really well, but each year at Duke I’ve been able to appreciate more human experiences and empathize with more people. I’ve been able to make friends with really awesome backgrounds, especially after spending two summers in New York.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
A: No deadlines on my personal life [laughter]. Professionally though I have some thoughts of going back for an MBA or a Master’s degree, so I might initiate the process of going back to school. I would also really like to reconnect with the arts and am interested in being part of the Board of Directors within an arts community. And in terms of travel plans, I’d list Ireland as my top destination because I am currently writing a thesis on Irish economic development, but that’s just one place. There are still a lot of places that I haven’t been. Also, before working in consulting full time, I am looking forward to reconnecting with some old friends this summer since it’ll probably be the last time I can stay at home for more than a week.

Q: What’s your fondest memory at Duke?
A: These always occur during my most unguarded moments! Like when I make the impromptu decision to go out to Full Steam with a few friends, coming together for birthday dinners, and watching basketball games in common rooms. It’s like when you don’t feel anxious about your social situations because the people you are around give you this sense of relief that makes you feel like a weight has been lifted.

Q: Who is someone you’re very close to within DSP?
A: I could drill it down to just someone but really it’s a group of people within DSP that I’ve been close to since freshman year. A lot of people in my hall joined at the same time--Akshat, Simon, Hooman, Bobby--and we were really close throughout that year but joining DSP helped maintain that relationship. Actually, because I just had my birthday a few days ago, I’ve been thinking recently about who I have celebrated with every year. And those four people I just mentioned, they have been at every single one of my birthdays.

Q: What does DSP mean to you?
A: When I think DSP, I think of a group of people that really do give unconditional support to each other. There’s just an understanding that anyone who we take into DSP is worthy of each other’s time, help, and respect. Whether it’s on the professional or personal side, in both instances I’ve had people help me. The brothers in our chapter do not look down on each other except to pick each other up again.

04/09/2017

***Starring: Akshat Podar***

Q: How have you changed since coming to Duke?
A: I’ve changed in so many ways. It’s impossible for me to note them all. But, one major way I’ve changed is that I now strive to tailor my actions according to certain values I truly identify with. Two of those values are 1) my desire to mentor other individuals in my life and 2) my ability to empathize with them. These verbs-- “to mentor” and “empathize”--truly guide my life and through them, I hope to make an impact in the world. As such, I want to stay as true to them as possible. If someone reaches out to me, I want to commit to these actions because only then are you truly able to understand another person’s perspective. Over time, all these small steps will then aggregate into a larger and impactful picture.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
A: I want to be a leader in some shape or form. For me, being a leader fits into my whole thing about making an impact. I really want to inspire those around me. And this desire is really depicted by how I gauge my own success by seeing how much I contributed to the successes of others. So, for the next five years, I want to be in an environment where I have extremely passionate and ambitious people around me who are also working to fulfill and on their own paths to success. I want those same people reflected in my friend groups and networks!

Q: What’s your fondest memory at Duke?
A: My fondest memory was the Championship Game Night. That night, to be surrounded in that atmosphere--I’ve never experienced anything like it before. You had this huge sense of community, of camaraderie. In that moment, nothing mattered. Who you were, what your background was, no one cared. Instead, you were sucked into this experience of sharing common success, a pinnacle moment that everyone had wanted to achieve so desperately together. This euphoria, coming from such a collective community, really epitomized why I loved Duke.

Q: Who is someone you’re very close to within DSP?
A: This question was difficult for so many reasons. Over the years, I’ve formed so many great friendships. This is still a question that I don’t even know if I can answer because there are so many people who I am close to within this organization. From my senior class alone, there’s Ellen, Simon, Michael, Ethan...In the junior class, there’s Greg, Andrew, Christina, and you! Christina and Greg were even a part of my FAC group, so literally they’ve been there since first day. From the sophomore class, there’s Ben, Chris, Qusai, Raymond, Shreya…. The list really goes on and on. As much as I’d like to pick a specific name, I would like to think that I am there for everyone as much as possible, and DSP has really been a catalyst in allowing me to form such close relationships over my Duke career.

Q: What does DSP mean to you?
A: In three letters, DSP means you can accomplish anything. We started off as a small organization filled with a lot of doubt. However, we had a certain vision, and we wanted to manifest it. We wanted to recruited the best people, the best talent, and form the best community.

Today, DSP has shown me--and I do believe--that if you truly are passionate about your vision, you can make your vision a reality. You can do anything. So, to me, DSP represents my passion, and my vision to make an impact.

photo creds: Michelle Li

03/31/2017

Sign up NOW for Duke DATATHON hosted by Duke Delta Sigma Pi on April 21st, 2017. Limited spots available!

Click the following link for more information: http://correlation-one.com/duke-datathon/

02/02/2017

Shout out to everyone participating in rush, we hope you've all had a great experience so far! As first round cuts are approaching soon, be sure to attend one of our last rush events, Trivia TONIGHT in Social Sciences 139 at 7 PM. See you all there!

02/01/2017

Thank you for coming out to Book Club! We hope to read more books with you all in the future!

01/30/2017

Speed Dating this evening at 7:00pm! Come to the second floor of Marketplace and meet the brothers.

Duke Delta Sigma Pi

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