Canterbury Grads Prepared for College
If there’s one thing Canterbury High School graduates can be sure of, it’s that they will be prepared for the next step: college. There are currently five Canterbury graduates at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina: Akash Meesa ‘18, Priyanka Meesa ‘19, Lucas Steffy ‘20, Shaan Patel ‘21, and Kristina Urberg ‘21. Patel and Urberg gave us an update on college life at Duke.
Shaan Patel ‘21 (pictured with Lucas Steffy ‘20)
Major: Computer Science and Economics with a concentration in Finances
In what ways did Canterbury prepare you for college?
Coming to Duke initially, I was not sure what to expect. It did not take long to realize Canterbury had prepared me far more than I had previously thought. My first semester felt like a review since I had been taught the concepts so well in high school. Specifically, the French department and Math department did an outstanding job in preparing students for collegiate level courses in their respective disciplines.
What do you love most about attending Duke?
The students at Duke are all so welcoming and making new friends was no problem. I’d say I love that the most about the college.
Kristina Urberg ‘21
Major: French Studies
In what ways did Canterbury prepare you for college?
Canterbury has prepared me for college in so many ways. Since I was able to interact closely with faculty members and build relationships with them during my time in high school, I have been confident when approaching my professors to ask for help or to start up a conversation so I can get to know them better. Canterbury also prepared me for college because I am used to working hard and having to manage my time efficiently. More specifically, Canterbury’s French department has prepared me very well to be a French major. I’m already able to start classes for my major as a first-semester freshman, and I will be able to study abroad as early as this summer because of my proficiency.
What do you love most about attending Duke?
What I love most about Duke is the people I’ve met. Being a part of such a passionate, diverse, and involved group of students has been such a privilege, and I have loved being around so many people who love Duke as much as I do. Duke students are energetic in Cameron Indoor Stadium, but they bring the same enthusiasm, engagement, and excitement to the classroom, which has pushed me to do my best this semester.