Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #1 Stanford on December 5, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 1
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Women's Soccer
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Photo by: Duke Athletics
DWS: Blue Devil Alumni Spotlight - Katy Colas Baldwin
6/12/2025 11:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. -- Throughout the spring and summer, GoDuke.com will continue to spotlight different Duke women's soccer alumni. Our next update is with Katy Colas Baldwin, a 2015 Blue Devil graduate. She appeared in 64 matches over four seasons. Baldwin, who hails from Vienna, Va., scored three goals, had three assists and nine points over her collegiate career. She was a member of the 2011 NCAA College Cup team.
GoDuke.com: Since graduating from Duke, what have you been up to?
Katy Colas Baldwin: Since graduating from Duke, I began my career by joining the FBI, where I had the incredible opportunity to spend two years detailed to the White House's National Security Council. In that role, I supported high-level national security efforts and traveled with the President around the world.
After leaving the government, I joined a strategic investment firm focused on investing in dual-use commercial startups and led our engagement strategy with intelligence community and defense partners. Most recently, I joined a startup where I focus on our national security portfolio.
Alongside my career, I met and married my husband, and we now have a 15-month-old son and a golden retriever. I also serve on the boards of several DC-based charities focused on expanding educational opportunities for underserved communities.
GD: Following your collegiate soccer career, did you try to go play professionally at all?
KCB: Following my collegiate soccer career, I was fortunate to be offered a unique opportunity with the FBI, which led me to choose a different path rather than pursuing soccer professionally. That said, I still enjoy playing in pickup games when I can and have also picked up tennis and golf.
GD: By having a Duke degree, how much has that helped you since graduation?
KCB: Having a Duke degree has been invaluable. It opened doors and provided connections that have deeply shaped my career. Being part of the Duke Athletics community is also something incredibly special—the relationships and network have continued long past graduation. More than anything, being a student-athlete at Duke taught me how to manage high-pressure environments, a skill that has translated directly into my work in national security. The women's soccer team fostered a strong sense of mission, service, and teamwork, which still guide me today.
GD: Looking back at your Duke soccer experience, what are some things that you look back on and cherish?
KCB: Looking back on my time playing soccer at Duke, I deeply cherish the special community that we built on and off the field as well as the opportunity to be both pushed and supported to excel in so many diverse facets - athletics, academics, and socially. The early mornings, long nights, and hot Durham summers are some of my fondest memories I could experience with my best friends.
GD: What was it like being a part of the NCAA College Cup squad in 2011 and that special run the team had?
KCB: Going to the 2011 NCAA College Cup as a freshman was surreal. Just a year earlier, I had been in the stands as a high school senior, dreaming of what it would be like - and suddenly, that dream became reality. Looking back, what stands out most wasn't just the moment itself, but the incredible team chemistry we had that season. Everyone - whether a starter or coming off the bench - was fully committed to our shared goal. That year taught me a lasting leadership lesson: no matter your role, your experience becomes far more meaningful when you fully invest in a collective purpose.
GD: Are you able to keep in touch with many teammates/coaches?
KCB: I stay in touch with several teammates, including my freshman year roommate who was a bridesmaid in my wedding. I also stay in touch with a close-knit friend of other female athletes.
I've also stayed connected with several professors and have returned to campus on a few occasions to speak about my path into a career in national security. Other than that, we always make an annual stop at the Washington Duke Inn on our way down to Charleston!
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
GoDuke.com: Since graduating from Duke, what have you been up to?
Katy Colas Baldwin: Since graduating from Duke, I began my career by joining the FBI, where I had the incredible opportunity to spend two years detailed to the White House's National Security Council. In that role, I supported high-level national security efforts and traveled with the President around the world.
After leaving the government, I joined a strategic investment firm focused on investing in dual-use commercial startups and led our engagement strategy with intelligence community and defense partners. Most recently, I joined a startup where I focus on our national security portfolio.
Alongside my career, I met and married my husband, and we now have a 15-month-old son and a golden retriever. I also serve on the boards of several DC-based charities focused on expanding educational opportunities for underserved communities.
GD: Following your collegiate soccer career, did you try to go play professionally at all?
KCB: Following my collegiate soccer career, I was fortunate to be offered a unique opportunity with the FBI, which led me to choose a different path rather than pursuing soccer professionally. That said, I still enjoy playing in pickup games when I can and have also picked up tennis and golf.
GD: By having a Duke degree, how much has that helped you since graduation?
KCB: Having a Duke degree has been invaluable. It opened doors and provided connections that have deeply shaped my career. Being part of the Duke Athletics community is also something incredibly special—the relationships and network have continued long past graduation. More than anything, being a student-athlete at Duke taught me how to manage high-pressure environments, a skill that has translated directly into my work in national security. The women's soccer team fostered a strong sense of mission, service, and teamwork, which still guide me today.
GD: Looking back at your Duke soccer experience, what are some things that you look back on and cherish?
KCB: Looking back on my time playing soccer at Duke, I deeply cherish the special community that we built on and off the field as well as the opportunity to be both pushed and supported to excel in so many diverse facets - athletics, academics, and socially. The early mornings, long nights, and hot Durham summers are some of my fondest memories I could experience with my best friends.
GD: What was it like being a part of the NCAA College Cup squad in 2011 and that special run the team had?
KCB: Going to the 2011 NCAA College Cup as a freshman was surreal. Just a year earlier, I had been in the stands as a high school senior, dreaming of what it would be like - and suddenly, that dream became reality. Looking back, what stands out most wasn't just the moment itself, but the incredible team chemistry we had that season. Everyone - whether a starter or coming off the bench - was fully committed to our shared goal. That year taught me a lasting leadership lesson: no matter your role, your experience becomes far more meaningful when you fully invest in a collective purpose.
GD: Are you able to keep in touch with many teammates/coaches?
KCB: I stay in touch with several teammates, including my freshman year roommate who was a bridesmaid in my wedding. I also stay in touch with a close-knit friend of other female athletes.
I've also stayed connected with several professors and have returned to campus on a few occasions to speak about my path into a career in national security. Other than that, we always make an annual stop at the Washington Duke Inn on our way down to Charleston!
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
#GoDuke
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