Spotlight on a Scholar
Senior Noelle Kelly, Global Impact Fellow, Unite for Sight - Accra, Ghana
Meet Senior Trinity Scholar Noelle Kelly, from Goldsboro, NC, a Biomedical Engineering major with a certificate in Markets and Management. She returns to campus this fall after having worked at Accenture, in Charlotte, as a Consulting Analyst Intern. Using the skills she has honed over the last three years, she created business documents as well as constructed and revised sequential diagrams for more cost effective systems.
Ever since she arrived on campus, Noelle has been leading others at Duke. Beginning her freshman year, she became an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Last year she served as President and she is currently Treasurer of the chapter. Her sophomore year she served as chapter Secretary. The Duke chapter collaborates with other campus engineering societies to network and promote leadership development, as well as providing academic services including study sessions for first-year students.
Noelle has been active with the First-Year Advisory Counselor (FAC) Program, leading group discussions on student life for prospective students, working as an undergraduate mentor for first-year students, training other undergrads to provide both academic and social resources for first-year students and designing residence hall programming in order to foster community involvement through year- long involvement. This is her third year with FAC and her second term on the Executive Board.
At the Duke Career Center, Noelle is a member of the Ambassador Team. As a result of her involvement with this group, she has identified resources and opportunities for the Career Center to use on their website and conducted interactive presentations for diverse student groups on career planning, interviewing and job search skills. She is currently serving her second term as President of the Diversity Team, through which she organized the annual Diversity Networking Dinner and Diversity Forum for over 100 Duke undergraduate students, Career Center staff members and industry representatives.
As part of the B.N. Duke and Trinity Scholarship Program, Noelle has served fellow scholars planning the B.N. Bonanza for Finalists Weekend and speaking at freshman meetings about her Carolina Summer of Service experience, among other activities. She believes that her biggest contribution was co-teaching a house course, “Developing Leadership through Community Service,” for the Class of 2013 with B.N. Duke Scholar Kim Dixon, Class of 2010. Recently she was a co-leader with B.N. Duke Senior John Luttrell, for one of the sessions held during the B.N. Duke Scholarship Program Fall Retreat.
Noelle facilitating session at Fall Retreat with Senior John Luttrell (2nd from Right), and working with Sophomore Jacob Tobia (2nd from Left). Senior Brandon Hill pictured Far Left.
Noelle spent her Carolina Summer of Service in 2009 in Marion & Mullins, SC. In Marion, she interned at Francis Marion University, Center for the Child, assisting with research on the struggles of students and parents and comparing the development of at-risk children to those not at risk. She also conducted a cost of living/net income analysis for working mothers in the Pee Dee region. She split her time between FMU and the Troy-Johnson Intergenerational Learning Korner, in Mullins, where she designed a website for Troy-Johnson and coordinated summer activities for 60+ low-income students.
During fall semester 2010, Noelle participated in a study abroad program at Queen Mary University, in London, learning about operations management and financial institutions.
She next traveled to Accra, Ghana where she was a Global Impact Fellow, at Unite for Sight, for her 2010 International Summer of Service. While in country she developed a social science research study on female barriers to cataract surgery, performed visual acuity screenings, distributed prescribed eyeglasses and medications and took patient histories. Additionally, she assisted physicians with patient surgical referrals and raised $1800 in order to help provide free surgeries. Reflecting on time spent during these summers, Noelle said, “Whether international or domestic, my summer experiences with the B.N. Duke Program have provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for growth, created long-lasting friendships, and instilled an attitude within me that I can achieve anything.”
Noelle recently completed an 18-month intensive career development program as Career Preparation Fellow with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT). She has received training from industry professionals, focusing on analytical thinking, skill assessment, action planning and business communication.
Looking back on her leadership experiences, she said “Being a leader at Duke doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be the President or Chairman of an organization; anytime you ignite a fire within someone else to become a better person, you are a leader.”
When she has free time, you might find her reading a John Grisham novel, going for a jog, taking in a movie or shopping. Noelle also enjoys playing the piano, especially classical, pop and Christmas music.