Sarah Wu '26: Discovering a Love for Challenge and Teaching at Duke

Sarah Wu is a senior from San Diego, California, double majoring in Statistical Science and Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. At Duke, she developed a strong interest in statistics and teaching through her work as a teaching assistant for courses including Introduction to Calculus II and Introduction to Data Science. After graduation, Wu will pursue a Ph.D. in Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

As graduation approaches, we asked Wu to reflect on her time at Duke, the experiences that shaped her, and the lessons she hopes to carry forward. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

Is there a moment, experience, class, or person at Duke that changed you? 

One experience that really changed me at Duke was becoming a teaching assistant. As a first-year student, I admired my TAs because they seemed to know everything and made difficult material feel approachable. I applied to be a TA in the fall of my sophomore year — mostly out of curiosity — but it quickly became one of the most meaningful parts of my time at Duke. 

Leading lab sections for Calculus II and later STA 199 showed me how much I enjoy both the material and the process of helping others understand it. Some of my favorite moments have been the small ones — running into former students around campus, recognizing more familiar faces each year, and feeling part of a growing community of learners. Through these experiences, I began to consider a future in academia, something I had never imagined before coming to Duke. 

Is there a part of yourself that you discovered or reclaimed during your time at Duke? 

During my time at Duke, I rediscovered my love for taking on challenges. I came in premed, but it didn’t take long to realize that path didn’t feel right. Instead, I kept finding myself drawn back to math and statistics, even when those classes challenged my confidence the most. 

Courses like Linear Algebra with proofs and real analysis often made me question whether this was truly the path I wanted to take. Ironically, even though those classes were difficult, I couldn’t pull myself away. I would stay up late trying to understand the concepts and, gradually, I realized that what I valued was not just understanding something quickly, but the process of struggling and eventually making sense of it. 

That realization helped me see that I genuinely enjoy being challenged, even though I often strive for perfection. There is something deeply satisfying about finally figuring out something difficult — and I hope to carry that mindset with me as encouragement as I enter graduate school. 

What advice or message would you give to your first-year self — or to an incoming first-year at Duke? 

If I could give advice to my first-year self, it would be to explore as much as possible and stay open to the people around you. Duke is full of incredibly interesting individuals, and you never know whom you might meet or how quickly someone might become one of your closest friends. Looking back, I’m often surprised by how some of my closest friendships began and how quickly I felt comfortable being myself around those people. 

I would also remind myself to take advantage of the freedom college offers. Say yes to plans but also recognize when you need to say no if you’re overwhelmed. This mindset applies beyond social plans — you never know what you might enjoy until you try it. Order that menu item in WU even if you’re not quite sure what it is and take that class even if there are no evaluations and the professor doesn’t have a page on Rate My Professors. Be adventurous and stay curious. 

As you prepare to graduate, what are you most grateful for from your time at Duke? 

Coming to Duke all the way from California, I’m especially grateful for the independence I developed and the experience of learning how to navigate life and solve problems on my own. At the same time, it was never a solo journey. 

Throughout my four years — through classes, extracurriculars and everyday moments — I met so many incredible people who supported me and made life feel shared rather than individual. Those relationships made my time here far more meaningful. 

As I move into the next chapter, I hope to hold on to the friendships I’ve built while continuing to form new ones and surround myself with people who grow and experience life together. Life can already be challenging, which makes it all the more meaningful to go through it alongside others.