Community Building

“I love my cohort! It has been so nice getting to know everyone and, right from the beginning, I felt a sense of belonging.” – 2017 Scholar

The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars at U of M participate in a wide range of community-building activities. Scholars participate in an All-Scholars retreat (where first-year and second-year scholars get to know each other) at the end of June, a 4th of July BBQ, a game night, and more. 

“It can be isolating to be one of the few representatives from an underrepresented group, especially in the sciences. One of the things that I found most impactful about DDSCP at U of M was living with a tight-knit, diverse cohort of people for two summers. People came from a wide range of backgrounds and identities and the cohort provided us with a constant support system. The cohort dispelled the sense of isolation and stress to individually represent all people of our identity.” – 2017 Scholar

The highlight of this program has definitely been the people I have met…I have no doubt that we’ll stay in contact; we’ve become like family.– 2018 Scholar