Durham, NC - Shelley Moore Capito '75 hardly took the conventional path to the U.S. Congress. A zoology major at Duke, she started out on a track to medical school--until she realized she couldnt stand the sight of blood.

So when the West Virginia congresswoman was asked recently to offer advice to Duke undergraduates, she had a quick reply: "Dont expect your life path to be straight and narrow," she said. "Changing your mind--about your major, career path or goals--create curves in life, but should ultimately be seen as opportunities."

Capito spoke to about 50 Duke alumni, students and parents at the DukeDC Congressional Breakfast, organized by D.C.-area alumni to highlight Dukes connections in the Capitol. The non-partisan gathering, an annual staple on the DukeDC calendar that dates back two decades, has featured alumni such as Sen. Rand Paul MD88 of Kentucky; Rep. Nick Rahall 71 of West Virginia, Rep. Scott Peters 80 of California and Rep. Dan Lipinski PhD98 of Illinois.

Capito, a Republican, was elected in 2001 to represent West Virginias 2nd Congressional district. She is running in the November election for the U.S. Senate, hoping to fill the seat opened by Sen. Jay Rockefellers retirement.

At the breakfast, Capito shared how working in a hospital during the summer before her senior year of college changed her career path. After realizing she didnt want to work in medicine, she instead applied to graduate school to study higher education, later becoming a college counselor in West Virginia.

Her path was altered again in the run-up to the 2000 elections. Then serving as a delegate to the West Virginia State House, Capito was encouraged to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. The decision to run, she said, took a lot of prodding, but has allowed her a larger platform to advocate on behalf of West Virginia citizens.

Andrea Martin 81, a DukeDC board member who attended the breakfast, called Capitos reflections "heartwarming" and inspiring for Dukes Beltway alumni. "From her time as a Duke undergrad, to becoming the mother of three Duke graduates, her love for Duke shined through all her comments and energized everyone," Martin said.

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Following the Unexpected Path