Larkspur John

Academic Interests

Computer Science, Architecture, Computational Media, & Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Fun Fact

I constantly pick up random skills like making a mean pineapple upside down cake, sewing tote bags, and being able to do a Yoshi voice impression.

Growing up, I was always found building random Lego sets, creating Barbie doll furniture, or putting on whole concert productions for my family. I always found a way to express myself, and my creativity in every aspect I could. I held this creativity strongly to me and continued to use it for other passions, specifically coding. When I was 10 years old I was introduced to coding, and what drew me into it was the personalization you can add through each function, user input, or even website banner. I continued to pursue this through my years by first joining Girls Who Code, which led me to join my high school’s video game developer pathway, earning my Unity Game Design Certificate. 

Although technology and creativity were (and still are) a big focus for me, I also hold a high value on Community. My mom would never let me go a day without reminding me of the impact of Community and giving back to where we came from. From taking me and my siblings to an African drum circle, helping make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for shelters, or helping our fellow Girl Scout troops make blankets for donation, my mom helped shape my view on community. I always found spaces to demonstrate to others the importance of community through service and creation. I focused on service by Volunteering for Lego robotics Competitions and volunteering at local food banks. I focused on creating a community by becoming President of the Technology Student Association, creating a safe place for all members, and despite joining late, helped facilitate this in marching band by becoming a manager providing a bridge between the dancers, band, and band management.

I plan to continue expressing these core values at Duke through many different organizations and activities. I have already started this perusal by joining organizations like the Alliance for Interdisciplinary Innovation for Computing Education (AiiCE) as a research assistant, Women in Technology, and the Black Student Association. I also plan to do volunteering with Girls of Code and Duke Paws.

What do you like about being a SPIRE Fellow?

What I like most about being a SPIRE fellow is the diverse and extensive community. I can always find similarities between me and other fellows but I can also find differences. While similarities allow for us to connect, the differences do as well. These differences allow for me to learn more about different backgrounds and perspectives as everybody has a unique light to them to share!