Victoria gives an update about her life and shares a recording of the Real Talk Panel with Current students from the Virtual Blue Devil Days for the Class of 2029.

This episode follows current student besties Luis Periera Lazo (T’27) and Gabriela Mendoza as they have a candid conversation about their leadership roles in extracurricular clubs, their biggest changes since arriving to Duke, and their friendship. Support systems are crucial to the college experience, and peer support through quality friendships in college are highly underrated. Luis and Gabby display the ways friendships in college support and challenge students to grow.

In the final episode of our three-part series Making It Out, we sit down with Mia Velasco (T’28), a first-year student at Duke, to discuss her transition from a central New Jersey public high school to life on East Campus in Durham, North Carolina. Mia takes us through her college application journey, breaking down the financial realities of choosing a school as a low-income student. She challenges common myths about affordability and shares what truly influenced her decision. We also explore her experiences with FOCUS clusters, service-learning classes, and her perspectives on access to higher education for first-generation, low-income students. Tune in for an honest and insightful conversation about what it really takes to make it out—and make it work.

This is the second part of a three-part Making It Out series. Naomi Goldson (T’27), a current student is from a small town called Laurinburg in North Carolina and a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Naomi and I met during her first campus tour after being admitted to Duke in 2023. We talk about the guilt that occurs when being in college away from loved ones and how to reframe your mindset to succeed in college despite these emotional and financial tolls.

This is the first episode of a three-part series called Making It Out. Ari Miller (T’27), a current student speaks on her experience as an emancipated youth in Kansas and the disparities of the wealth culture at Duke University within the undergraduate population. We explore what it means to make it out of your circumstances to break generational cycles and attend college as a first generation college student.

Episode 4

Episode 3

Episode 2

Episode 1

In this trailer of the DukeLIFE pod, Victoria Pinedo, our host, describes the purpose of this podcast series. By archiving first generation, low-income stories from current students and recent alumni we hope to provide current and prospective students and families with resources that will help them feel less alone in their journeys throughout college.