David Frankel | Few

Hometown:  Garden City, NY

Professional interests:  Like Ted Lasso, I try to be curious not judgmental.  And I am particularly curious to learn about YOU, Duke students. I am curious about your story, what brings you joy, what makes you tick, and what makes you nervous.  I have been hanging out with and supporting Duke students for most of the time since I was a Duke student myself.  This career would be surprising to my college-aged self who consistently avoided “adults” and was terrible at asking for help.

Education

• A.B., Duke University
  • I entered Duke with no idea what I wanted to explore academically. I eventually focused on Psychology and Theater, but the most impactful class I took was Alternative Religions in America.  Meanwhile, my mom liked to tell people that I was majoring in a cappella. I did spend a lot of time and energy (and learned a LOT) through being part of a singing group. 
• Ed., College of William and Mary
  • I advised an amazing student organization that tutored/mentored middle school students while preparing for a career supporting college students. Surprisingly, I never took a course in churning butter or wearing tri-cornered hats in historic Williamsburg, Virginia.

Meet with me if you need…

• help navigating Duke’s bounty of resources and opportunities, both academic and non-academic.
• connections with other helpful humans (staff, faculty, alumni, other students).
• someone who will sit and listen.
• someone to ask questions about a potential course, internship, or leadership position you are considering. For example, WHY?
• coffee, tea, or a snack.
• some dad jokes.
• to brainstorm strategies for improving your overall wellbeing and happiness.
• a pep talk during a bout of imposter syndrome.
• to talk about standup comedy, true crime, binge-worthy tv shows, favorite bands to see live, Taylor Swift, college basketball, dogs, my kids, or anything that is important to you.
  
  

Looking back, what would you tell your college-aged self?
Build relationships with “old” people at Duke.  Friends and family members are valuable resources, but you will get so much more out of this place and these years by finding some staff and faculty mentors.

Quotes:
“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” 
– Stephen Furtick

“An escalator can never break, it can only become stairs.  You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.” 
– Mitch Hedberg

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
– Paul McCartney