If I had observed the sweatshirt he was wearing, it would be no surprise that freshman Jamal Edwards grabbed the title of East Campus Council (ECC) president for the class of 2016. His sweatshirt read CASL: California Association of Student Leaders, an inspiring group that he had been the president of back in high school. Let me repeat that: he was president of a California-wide (practically a country) leadership organization. No wonder leadership is nothing new for Jamal!
Yet Jamal made sure to clarify, that though he enjoys being a leader, new positions bring diverse challenges. “Looking at things like ‘Oh, I’ve done this before’ is a sure way to fail,” Jamal said. As of now, he foresees a challenge communicating with the entire freshmen class but has made it his goal to represent the student voice and make as many people as possible feel at home at Duke.
As president, Jamal is responsible for leading the representative body of the class of 2016 in making decisions that will directly benefit the sense of community among freshmen this year and in the years to come. In order to do this, ECC hosts events that brings unity to East Campus and discusses issues that arise among the class throughout the year, such as social events, student life, and policy changes. Jamal is now in a position where he can communicate any concerns or questions to Duke Student Government (DSG). He even sits on the Housing Model Year 2 committee of DSG, representing his peers and will directly influence housing decisions for the coming years.
With only two months under his belt as a first year student, Jamal has taken on a huge role in college. He attributes this to his passion for serving. When the opportunity came to step up to the plate, Jamal eagerly took it.
However, becoming ECC president was quite the process. First, Jamal ran for House Council to represent Bell Tower- aka “Hotel Bell”- and was voted in the group of 8 representatives by his dorm mates. From there, the group collectively agreed upon his title of Vice President, whose role in every House Council is to also serve as a member of ECC. It was then that the ECC deemed Jamal president. Dude’s got major skills.
But wait, there’s more! Jamal is also the coxon on the Men’s Varsity Rowing team and get this- wakes up between 4:30 and 5:30am six days a week! Did I mention I interviewed him at 11 o’clock at night? AND, that when we were finished, he was on his way to do more homework? When does this boy sleep?
But Jamal seems to have it under control. He chose Duke because he loves the fact that everyone brings with them their own talents, and he is using his even if it means minimal sleep. That seems to be the unfortunate sacrifice we Duke students take.
As I wrapped up the interview, I asked Jamal the one question that is normally asked from the get-go. What’s your major? With hopes of becoming a primary care doctor, Jamal is planning to do Program II to create an Oral History & Medical Anthropology major. Since he is pre-med, I was surprised when he told me that he was not a science person. “I want to be a doctor because of the human connection that comes with it,” Jamal said.
Jamal’s focus on community and serving it means the Class of 2016 is in good hands.