Felix Zhu '26: Finding His Rhythm on Stage and in the Classroom

One of Felix Zhu’s most memorable moments at Duke happened early on. During his first year, Zhu and his band, Weekend Therapy, performed for the last day of classes celebration (LDOC), opening for Cafuné, one of his favorite artists. Standing on that stage felt like a high point, even as a first-year student.   

“It was a huge milestone for me and my bandmates and a huge personal achievement to be on the big stage,” he says. 

That moment captures something central about Zhu’s four years at Duke: a willingness to pursue interests that don’t always fit neatly into one box. A Computer Science and Math major with a minor in Visual Arts, Zhu has spent his time balancing analytical work with the creative. It wasn’t what he expected when he first arrived on campus.

"Being open to the possibility that it could all turn out differently than how you expected gives you the chance to find out more about yourself and the world around you." 

Coming from a small high school where everyone knew each other, Zhu imagined college might feel like a bigger version of the same social circles, but Duke opened up a much wider world.  

“I didn't expect to meet all the different people I did,” he says. Along the way, he encountered classmates whose backgrounds, ambitions and perspectives were strikingly different from his own. At the same time, he also found people who felt familiar. “I ended up meeting people who were more similar to me than anyone I had met before.” 

Along the way, Zhu found support from mentors who encouraged him to explore broadly. He credits his advisor, Raquel Salvatella de Prada, associate professor of the practice of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, with pushing him to engage more deeply with the creative side of his interests. “If not for her, I wouldn’t have explored the creative world at Duke as much as I have,” he says. 

Those experiences and relationships shaped how Zhu thinks about the future. One of the biggest lessons he says he’s learned during his time at Duke is how quickly priorities can evolve.  

"You'll be surprised how many of the things that scared you will turn out to be the start to something amazing."

“Even when I thought I had my mind made up on my life path, my priorities changed dramatically throughout my experience at Duke,” he explains. Being open to those shifts, he says, is essential.  

“There's no knowing what you don't know, so even when you think you've got it all figured out, being open to the possibility that it could all turn out differently than how you expected gives you the chance to find out more about yourself and the world around you.” 

That mindset informs the advice Zhu would give his 17‑year‑old self: say yes.  

“Say yes to as many things as you can and take every opportunity you can find,” he says. He found that even the experiences that feel intimidating can lead somewhere worthwhile. 

“The worst thing that can happen is that you learn something,” he says, “You'll be surprised how many of the things that scared you will turn out to be the start to something amazing.”