Taylor Moorehead '26: A Small Decision That Defined a Duke Experience
"Duke is filled with incredibly smart, passionate and interesting individuals, and the relationships you build here will shape your experience in ways you can’t anticipate," said senior Taylor Moorehead. (Photo courtesy of Moorehead)
Taylor Moorehead is a senior from Woodstock, Maryland, double majoring in Computer Science and Economics with a minor in Mathematics. In addition to serving as a Trinity Ambassador, she serves as an executive member of Duke Quantitative Finance, social chair of The Cube Entrepreneurship, LLC, and as a tour guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For the past two summers, she worked as a quantitative trader intern in Chicago and Austin. In her free time, she enjoys playing spikeball and attending Duke basketball games with friends.
As the academic year draws to a close, we asked Moorehead to reflect on her time at Duke, the experiences that shaped her, and the lessons she hopes to carry forward after graduation.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Looking back over the past four years, is there a small moment that turned out to be more impactful than you realized at the time?
During the club fair my freshman year, I happened to stop by the Duke Quantitative Finance table. At the time I had no idea what “quantitative finance” even meant, but the students there convinced me to sign up.
That seemingly small decision ended up shaping my entire Duke experience. Through the club, I discovered my interest in quantitative trading and eventually pursued internships in the field. It was also where I met many of my closest friends at Duke. What felt like a random stop at a table ultimately helped define both my career path and my community.
What advice would you give to your first-year self, or to an incoming first-year at Duke?
Prioritize getting to know the people around you. Duke is filled with incredibly smart, passionate and interesting individuals, and the relationships you build here will shape your experience in ways you can’t anticipate.
Taking an afternoon away from studying to spend time with friends or meet someone new is rarely a mistake.
As you prepare to graduate, what are you most grateful for from your time at Duke?
Joining The Cube — a community focused on startups and venture capital — was one of the best decisions I made during my first year. Over the past four years it has been a space filled with curious, thoughtful people who constantly inspired and challenged me.
I’m grateful to have been part of a community like that, and I’m excited to stay connected with the friends and collaborators I met there long after graduation.