Seeking: A Diversity of People & Ideas

Seeking: A Diversity of People & Ideas

The 2023 comedy-drama, "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” is a warm, moving, coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old girl coming to terms with her body, boys, family, religion and God.

Duke first-year student Cooper Herrett has a scene in the movie. He plays the role of Tony, who is a cashier at a drugstore where the film’s star, Margaret Simons (played by Abby Ryder Fortson) and her friend Janie (Amari Alexis Price), approach the counter with a box of sanitary napkins Margaret is buying for the first time.

“We have a very awkward, embarrassing interaction,” says Herrett, a graduate of Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington.

In addition to acting in one of 2023’s most popular movies, Herrett recently ended a one-year term as governor of the YMCA’s North Carolina Youth in Government.

“They called me ‘Governor Cooper’ because we’ve got a Governor Cooper in office right now,” Herrett says. “It was kind of funny. … It was definitely a fun little word play.”

“I feel like, coming to Duke, I’m able to embrace those different facets about myself.”
Cooper Herrett

The main plank of his campaign platform?

“I wanted to increase inclusivity in the program,” he explains. “We are a predominantly affluent group of people who are involved, and my goal was to increase inclusivity through funding for scholarships, and make North Carolina Youth in Government look like North Carolina. And we were able to secure $50,000 in scholarships … which is really exciting.”

Herrett, after graduating from a small, private high school, is excited by the prospect of being exposed to a diversity of people and ideas.

“Also, another facet of that — and this is why I chose Duke — I am a multi-faceted person, and I have lots of different interests," he says. ”I feel like, coming to Duke, I’m able to embrace those different facets about myself. … I can be all those different things, and it’s not strange.”

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