Raisa Chowdhury, B.A. 2015

B.A., Cultural Anthropology and Political Science; minor in Economics (2015)

How has being a Cultural Anthropology graduate from Duke helped shape your professional success?

"My cultural anthropology background has allowed me to think about development and program design in a way that is less linear and paternalistic. It allows me to think about systems holistically which is a skill I use on a weekly if not daily basis."

What advice would you give students in Cultural Anthropology?

"Be able to articulate a pithy sentence that describes what you learned and/or how you learned to think in your major. This exercise has been helpful as I figure out subsequent steps at every transition phase in my life. While at Duke, take advantage of as many opportunities as you can (of course keeping your own mental health and time/energy constraints in mind) because they are amazing and allow you to very quickly try on different types of work to see if they are for you."