KAPPA ALPHA THETA

While at Duke, Claire Morton has designed her own major through Program II. Claire’s
major is titled “What It Means to Die” and examines the biopsychosocial process of
dying in different societies and at different points in life. By designing her own major,
Claire has the opportunity to explore a unique and personally motivated question
through her formal course of study. Eventually, Claire hopes to use her major to join the
medical field as a primary care physician. While in school, Claire has spent time
volunteering with the Durham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as well as with Duke
HomeCare and Hospice to prepare her for her future career, as well as to get involved
with the Durham community. “I believe that exploring the answer to "What It Means to
Die" will be essential in crafting how I treat my future patients, whether I continue along
the lines of geriatrics or explore the field of pediatrics,” states Claire.
“Freshmen year, I squeezed myself into the Nelson Music Room, along with 300 other
students, after my RA told us that attending Me Too Monologues would be one of the
highlights of our year. I had no idea what to expect, and sat huddled in the top row with
my two best friends from my freshman dorm. I remember sobbing as I listened to an
actor recount his girlfriend’s struggle with an eating disorder. I had never experienced my
own disorder, but something about the power of his words, and the vulnerability of her
voice made me feel like this could have been my story. For the first time since I had come
to Duke, I looked around the room and saw people like me - not just the valedictorians,
class presidents, and prom queens I had been meeting for months. For the first time, I
realized that maybe everyone wasn’t perfect, and that maybe that girl in my math class
was feeling the same way I had been feeling for months: just not good enough. You see,
on this campus, there is a fear of vulnerability. There is a constant pursuit of perfection
and nobody wants to tell people that they are struggling. But, that night, I felt like I
wasn’t alone. I left with a whole new outlook on my Duke experience, and a mission to
become involved with the program. Me Too shows us the power of words, and explores
narratives that would otherwise have been silenced on campus. Last year, I performed a
monologue and this year, I am currently the assistant producer of the show. I can
confidently say that being a part of Me Too Monologues has been one of the most
meaningful experiences of my Duke experience and my life. I can only hope that this
show will continue to do what it has done for me, to others: to remind them that whatever
challenges they are facing, they are not alone.” - Raina Kishan