Emma Duncan

“Emma Duncan,” said her nominator, “is the kind of student who seems centered in who she is, confident of what she knows, and aware that there is more to learn—and she embraces that!”

Emma's faith guides her self-understanding and integrity and her values of compassion, humility, and service.

Emma is an intern for Student Affairs Advancement. From the beginning of her time in the office, Emma embraced her role with authenticity and positivity, welcoming every opportunity to learn so that she could best serve her team and their mission.

In her office, interns work within a mentor-mentee system, starting as mentees and going on to mentor new interns. Emma’s self-understanding and integrity were evident from the moment Emma started as a mentee. Her nominator said she was eagerly receptive to learning everything her mentor had to offer, aligning her self-understanding with the expectations of her role.

The nominator said, “Emma asked good questions, offered new ideas, and slowly began to take over tasks from her mentor. She ended the academic year fully embracing her upcoming role as mentor!”

When the search was underway for another intern in the office, without prompting, Emma reflected meaningfully on her experiences to help her team during the search and onboarding processes. When the new intern joined the team, the nominator said, “Emma embraced her mentee with a deep investment.”

When an event that her office was helping with needed a last-minute student speaker for a panel on student loneliness and belonging, Emma stepped up without hesitation. Her nominator said that, with no preparation, Emma was able to recount her ups and downs authentically, tying them into the theme of the panel with impact.

“Throughout her remarks, she showed how much she’s grown while staying authentic to who she is,” said a nominator.

For Emma, communication is a means of serving others. She said, “Whether through storytelling, mentorship, or faith-based community work, I’m most fulfilled when I’m helping others feel seen, heard, and empowered.”

Emma also serves as a Hokie Undergraduate Group leader, mentoring Communications students to help them build connections and community. She is also the lifestyles section editor for the Collegiate Times, and co-leads a Bible study.

Emma is a senior studying multimedia journalism in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. After graduation, she will prepare to begin her master's degree in Professional Communication: Organizational and Strategic Communication at Liberty University.

For using her self-awareness to channel positivity and compassion, Student Affairs is proud to present the Aspire! Award for PURSUE SELF-UNDERSTANDING AND INTEGRITY to Emma Duncan.