Katelyn Cai

Class of 2026
Major in Program II: Social and Public Trust in the Digital Age

I'm a Robertson Scholar and Program II major, studying trust in media and institutions. At Duke, I'm a part of Duke Student Government, the dance group Defining Movement, Duke Presidential Ambassadors, Project BUILD, and newspaper 9th Street Journal. I also research information inequalities, media, and democracy! Outside of school, I volunteer for Distinguished Young Women, write on my personal Substack Trust Issues, and hunt for the best coffees in Durham. I'm interested in journalism, economics, and politics, and see my future career at the intersection of all three. Additionally, I was an AEI Summer Honors Academy Scholar, NC Dialogue Ambassador, and representative to several Trinity College committees.

Favorite Class: My favorite class was Age of Grievance with Professor Frank Bruni. Polarization is one of the biggest problems of our generation, and Professor Bruni was not only incredibly thoughtful and well-versed on the issue as a NYT columnist, but invested in his students' understanding and success.