Christina Colwell, Trinity Class of 2026 (Photo courtesy of Colwell)
Rewriting the Formula: How Christina Colwell Brought Her Path to Science, Language and Cameron Indoor
Christina Colwell knew she wanted a college where friendships would grow beyond the classroom and professors felt more like mentors than voices at the front of a lecture hall. A campus visit with her father during Blue Devil Days made that vision a reality.
“The faculty and students I met were so kind and accessible, and there was such a vibrant community spirit,” she recalls. “I remember calling my mom and telling her I needed to be here.”
Colwell arrived on campus planning a math major, sticking with a subject she’s loved since middle school, but an intro Chemistry course shifted her direction. The way abstract ideas became observable and measurable, while still offering the puzzle-like problem solving she enjoyed, drew Colwell to the course work, classroom discussions and faculty support.
“Science has always held my curiosity, and Duke is a renowned research institution,” she explains. “It was clear that if I followed a science path and majored in Chemistry, I’d be well supported, and that turned out to be exactly the case.”
A small seminar course, Religion and Pop Culture, opened up an entirely different line of inquiry. What began as a single elective grew into a minor in Religious Studies, sparked as much by the subject matter as by the intimacy of the classroom. “I grew up in a religious family, but hadn’t really studied religion in an academic context,” she explains. “In that class, it felt okay to ask questions that I would have just kept to myself. The professors created an environment where curiosity and uncertainty were welcomed as part of the learning process.”
Working in the McDonnell Lab since sophomore year, Colwell focuses on drug treatments for breast cancer metastasis. Her research has become a defining part of her academic experience and will follow her to medical school — at Duke — as she pursues a career in drug development. But what began as a steep learning curve in the lab three years ago quickly evolved into an opportunity to not only master experimental techniques, but to think and work like a scientist within a collaborative research environment.
“Dr. McDonnell has been the greatest mentor, and the team has always been so kind, accessible and willing to answer any question I have,” she says. “My first semester was about learning the lay of the land: how to work in a lab, how to ask questions and really move through the scientific process. Once I found my footing, I began an independent project where I could make decisions, interpret my own data and decide on next steps. That independence allowed me to take ownership of my work and feel like I was truly contributing to something new.”
Outside the lab, Colwell finds a different type of team-driven environment in cheerleading, where trust, discipline and determination mirror the same work ethic she brings to her research. A lifelong competitive cheerleader who tumbled and back flipped in her mother’s footsteps, Colwell thought she’d left that sport behind, until her first Duke football game as a student. “I saw how much fun everyone was having, and I knew I needed to do that,” she confesses. “I tried out, earned a spot on the team and have never regretted it.”
But she hasn’t shied away from reinvention either. After finding Spanish classes in high school “just didn’t stick,” she tried American Sign Language at Duke and found an immediate connection. “It felt like a dance,” she explains, “with so much room for expression and individuality.”
That sense of ownership led to one of her most memorable Duke moments: signing the National Anthem at a game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The first time ASL was featured in that space, it remains an experience she hopes continues after she leaves campus.
Counting down to graduation, Colwell shares one of the biggest lessons she learned at Duke: be comfortable with being uncomfortable. When she first arrived, new environments and unfamiliar experiences felt intimidating, but she began to see those moments as opportunities for growth. Whether it was stepping into her first chemistry lab or cold emailing a wellknown professor to introduce herself, each experience pushed her outside her comfort zone. “I began to see discomfort as a sign that I was learning and taking risks,” she says. “That mindset helped me embrace challenges and approach new opportunities with curiosity instead of fear.”
Her advice to incoming students reflects that same philosophy: spend time on BC Plaza when the weather is nice, give yourself grace when grades aren’t what you hoped, take classes outside your comfort zone and celebrate your friends along the way. Go to basketball games, show up to office hours even just to say hello, and don’t be afraid to FLUNCH a professor you want to meet. Above all, she says, approach Duke with a “yes” mindset.
“Looking back, I’m grateful that Duke taught me three things: curiosity is fun, community keeps you grounded and ambition matters. Those ideas shaped my time here and will continue to guide me as I move forward into medical school at the Duke School of Medicine and the next chapter of my life.”
