Sancia Milton '26: Biology or English? She Chose Both

Sancia Milton knew what she wanted: a strong research university with a solid liberal-arts base. She found the right combination at Duke, “plus beautiful weather, a perfect campus size and basketball,” she adds.

Her exact course of study was another matter. While creative writing and poetry have always been central to her identity, so has a penchant for biology — and a fascination with classical studies. “I came to Duke with a lot of interests,” she says, “and no clear sense of how they could fit together in a major.” It was a Medieval and Renaissance FOCUS course, taught by Thomas Robisheaux, professor of History, that helped Milton to connect the dots. She was introduced to ideas of interdisciplinary thinking, not as a buzzword but as a way of working, where ideas collide and different fields of study complement each other.

“The biggest takeaway was the change in my mindset,” she shares. “I started viewing things through a lens of passion and exploration, leaning into curiosity instead of worrying about coherence. That’s when I decided to major in the two fields that make me really happy: Biology and English.” 

And happy she has been. In the Holley Lab, Milton studies drug design, tracing how potential medications move through the body. The work will anchor her senior thesis in Biology. At the same time, she’s immersed herself in creative writing, finding her voice in a fiction workshop taught by Amin Ahmad, lecturing fellow of English. The sophomore course became one of her defining experiences at Duke.

“Science and the humanities both teach me how to ask questions. They just ask them in different languages.”

After the semester ended, Ahmad invited her to pursue a senior thesis in creative writing under his mentorship. The two meet regularly to discuss her developing novel. “We talk through everything,” she says. “Hearing his one-on-one feedback has completely changed how I think about writing, and I’ve grown so much because of it.”

While balancing lab work with creative writing might sound unusual, for Milton, the two disciplines complement each other. “Science and the humanities both teach me how to ask questions,” she shares. “They just ask them in different languages.”

Outside of the classroom, the California native has found community in every corner of campus: from Playhouse Shorts to Duke’s water polo club to English Department Ambassador to tenting in K-Ville. The friendships formed along the way have been just as meaningful. Like many first-year students, Milton initially worried about finding her place on campus. “I remember thinking, ‘What if I go to Marketplace and have to sit alone?’”

But those fears quickly vanished as friendships grew through late-night study sessions, lab collaborations and poetry workshops. Her dorm is still her favorite spot to unwind and connect. “I love just being in the dorms with friends,” she shares. “When you spend so much time on campus, it’s such a blessing to have that space to connect,” she says.

After graduation, she plans to spend a year in London, working, writing and exploring before deciding on graduate school. Still weighing whether med school or a master’s in public health is next, for now she’s focused on experiencing life and staying open to what’s ahead. “As sad as I am that college is ending, I’m just as excited for the next adventure.”

And what advice does Milton have for incoming students?

Reflecting on her four years at Duke, she has learned that college is one of the few times in life where you’re allowed to not have all the answers figured out. “Don’t be so stressed out all the time,” she says. “Make mistakes, give yourself grace and follow your passions, even if they’re different from what you thought you ‘should’ be doing. When you stop trying to be someone else, that’s when life really gets good.