Aissatou Diallo

Class of 2026
Major in Program II: "The Intersections of Performing Arts and Science: Incorporating Biological and Psychological Perspectives," Certificate in Health Policy

Hi, my name is Aissatou (pronounced "ice-uh-too") and I am from New Haven, CT. I am a Questbridge Match Scholar. On campus, I am the logistical director of Street Medicine, 2nd VP for NPHC, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Dance Council Treasurer, and a member of Bass Connections. At Duke, I have been fortunate enough to participate in Duke Engage in Chile, study away at University College London, and partaken in an internship with Duke Community Affairs. Dance-wise, I have had my hand in many different communities at Duke from Dancing Devils to Dance Council to the Duke Dance Department, as well as working as a dance teacher at a local Durham dance studio!

Favorite Class: My favorite class was Exercise Physiology with Professor McNally! I initially became interested in science, specifically anatomy and physiology, because of my passion for dance. While I was taking this course, I was also taking Biochemistry and Microbiology—at one point we were all talking about metabolism at the same time from completely different perspectives: chemical, biological, and practical. It was fascinating to see the same connections being made between the micro scale of cellular pathways and the macro scale of the human body in motion.