Notes From the Class of 2025: Learning Through "Life Stories"

Viktoria Wulff-Andersen is a graduating senior with a major in Political Science, minor in Sociology and a certificate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She has served as a Trinity Ambassador for Political Science. Trinity Ambassadors are student volunteers, nominated by their departments, to serve in this unique and important role.

We asked a few of the ambassadors from the Class of 2025 to share their favorite memories from Duke. The below interview has been slightly edited for clarity.

What was one of the most impactful classes you took during your time at Duke and why?
 
During my last semester at Duke, I attended a class called Life Stories (History 550S) — a course co-hosted by the Divinity School that took place at the Federal Correctional Complex, Butner. Every Thursday, the other five undergraduate students in the class and I would carpool together to the prison, where we would learn alongside our incarcerated classmates about how history can be used to construct the story of a person's life. While the course itself opened my eyes to how the choices we make to retell life stories impact our perspectives on history, my classmates at Butner were the ones who enlightened me the most by granting me the privilege to hear their stories and to understand their feelings about the carceral system in the United States.

What was the most important thing you've learned at Duke?
 
The most important thing I learned at Duke is how to take inspiration from my classmates rather than compare myself to them. At Duke, I was constantly surrounded by people with life ambitions and passions that were vastly different from my own. Through this I was able to finally recognize that it makes no sense to constantly measure myself against everyone I meet. My life is unique and equally valuable, and it's better served by recognizing rather than envying the traits I admire most in others' lives.
 
What will you miss the most about Duke after graduation?
 
I'll miss the ability to easily be a member of multiple diverse communities at once. You can go from planning a fundraiser for a cause you're passionate about to knitting with your residential community to performing in a musical ensemble — all in one evening. I'll miss the delight I took in nourishing my interests and becoming a more well-rounded person on campus.