Derek Rhodes ’11

Derek Rhodes ’11 organized a back-to-school event for high school and college students of color on Aug. 24 — the Durham Success Summit. The summit aimed to help students identify and maximize their leadership skills, create a local network of peers and receive the tools and training to make positive change happen in their communities. The event brought together industry leaders from across the country to speak and lead workshops on entrepreneurship, personal branding and networking skills. Rhodes is a former White House intern in the Obama administration who is now Director of Business Strategy for the Miami HEAT.

Learn more about the Back to School Success Summit

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Liz Roberts ’16

DA basketball stand-out Liz Roberts ’16 got amazing news this fall when she learned she had earned a UNC women’s basketball scholarship for her senior season! Roberts joined the team as a walk-on as a first-year student and has earned the respect of her coaches and teammates with her passion for her team, as well as her help with recruiting and dedication to her studies. In November, Roberts joined 162 UNC students who were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most honored college honorary society. Roberts, an exercise and sport science major and coaching education minor, had to complete at least 75 hours of coursework in liberal arts and sciences with a GPA of 3.85 or better (on a 4-point scale) to be eligible. Less than 1% of all college students qualify.

Photo by UNC Athletic Communications

 

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Chris Walsh ’19

Chris Walsh ’19, a first-year at Notre Dame, was selected to try out for the USA Under-20 Ultimate Frisbee team. He was among more than 400 athletes from across the United States who applied to be considered for the 2020 U-20 National Teams. One hundred men and 100 women were chosen to attend. The opportunity to play Ultimate Frisbee for the Irish was a key factor in Walsh’s decision to attend Notre Dame. At Durham Academy, he was one of several students who helped launch the school’s Ultimate Frisbee program, which began as a club when he was in ninth grade. By the time Walsh graduated in May, the team wrapped up its 2018–2019 season with a third-place finish at states and earned a spot in the national power rankings.

Photo by Mary Moore McLean

 

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Yaakov Huba ’19

Yale first-year student Yaakov Huba ’19 has joined the world-renowned all-male a cappella group The Yale Alley Cats. The singing group was founded in 1943. Huba, who is Tenor 2, made his debut as an Alley Cat with six fellow inductees on Oct. 5, at Yale’s Family Weekend Concert. DA theatre teacher James Bohanek joined the a cappella singing group when he was a Yale student three decades ago. “I can’t express how thrilled I am for Yaakov, and what a kick it is for me that he will be part of the same tradition that so impacted my life when I was a student at Yale,” Bohanek said.

Photo courtesy of The Yale Alley Cats