Donor Impact Spotlight: Yared Duncan ’28

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Yared Duncan (’28) enters the 2025-26 academic year as a sophomore in Campbell University’s Trust and Wealth Management program. He’s focused, driven and already thinking about the legacy he wants to leave behind.

But his journey to Buies Creek is anything but typical. It spans continents, cultures and plenty of challenges along the way. Yared’s journey began in the small village of Wichale, Ethiopia — nearly 300 miles from the capital city of Addis Ababa.

Yared lived with his mother in a home without reliable electricity and, on most days, survived on just one meal a day.

“It was just me and my mom,” Yared recalled. “She would be working most of the day to provide for me and also to pay for my schooling.”

On top of the economic hardship, Yared faced physical challenges. He was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects muscle coordination and movement, making it difficult to play with other children.

Despite these challenges, his mother remained a constant source of strength and encouragement. One of the values she instilled early on was the importance of education. She saw it as the key to a better life, one with more opportunity.

“She realized that was my best chance to be able to provide for my life,” Yared said. “She’s still my main motivation for working hard in all my classes and taking school seriously.”

When Yared was six, everything changed. His mother passed away and he was placed in an orphanage, unsure of what would come next.

Six months later, the Duncan family visited the orphanage and decided to adopt Yared, bringing him to live in their home in Dawsonville, Georgia. He still remembers the faces of the other children who had been there longer, some who were passed over because they were considered too old for adoption. That memory, he says, continues to motivate both his academic drive and his desire to eventually help others.

“That was a big blessing from God,” he said. “I remember the day my parents came to pick me up from the orphanage. It was one of the best days of my life.”

The transition to living in the United States wasn’t easy, but Yared was determined to make the most of this new opportunity. He spent the first nine weeks learning English before joining kindergarten mid-year. Within just a few months, he was speaking so well that he no longer qualified for ESL (English as a Second Language) classes.

Over time, Georgia became home. Yared thrived in school, enjoyed playing soccer and basketball, discovered a love for reading and leaned in to his Christian faith.

When it came time to choose where to pursue higher education, Campbell University checked every box.

“I chose Campbell because it was a small Christian school, which were two things that I was looking for,” Yared said. “In addition, I had an older sister who went here, and when I visited her, it always felt like when I was on campus, I just enjoyed it — the campus and the community. And then lastly, when it came down to making a decision, Campbell was very generous with their scholarships and so that made the decision easy.”

Faith also played a central role in that choice. “My personal faith journey is important to me,” he explained. “I grew up going to public schools and that was fine, but in college I wanted an environment that was more focused on pursuing a career through a faith-based lens. So I thought that would be important.”

Yared received several scholarships to attend Campbell, reaffirming the fact that Buies Creek was where he was meant to be. He received the J.A. Campbell Scholarship, the Alumni Endowed Legacy Scholarship and received additional aid from the Truist Business Scholars program.

Scholarships, he said, have done more than just ease the financial burden. “It makes it a lot easier, and it’s less stressful,” he explained. “Emotionally, it’s motivating… I know I’ve done the work to be able to receive these scholarships, so I’ve got to keep going. I’m very thankful for the people and the money they’re contributing to people like me. I want to make sure I’m working hard to earn it.”

The support has allowed him to get more involved on campus, from academic organizations like Phi Eta Sigma and the Student Finance Club to intramural and club sports. This fall, he’ll interview for competitive summer internships, opportunities made possible by the time and focus his scholarships provide. “If I didn’t have scholarships, I’d probably have to be working a lot more,” Yared said. “Having that time to be engaged in clubs and activities is definitely because of the scholarships.”

Looking ahead, Yared is focused on finishing his Trust and Wealth Management degree, gaining work experience through internships and eventually returning to Ethiopia to give back. He’s maintained straight A’s throughout his first year and is on track to complete Campbell’s accelerated 4+1 program, earning his master’s degree in just four years. “I want to help kids like me, whether it’s providing education, food or just opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have,” he said.

“To whom much is given, much is expected. I’ve been given a lot, and I want to use it to make a difference,” Yared said.

For donors, Yared represents exactly the kind of impact their generosity makes possible, not just changing one life, but creating a ripple effect that will reach back to a small village in Ethiopia and forward to future generations of Campbell students.