DPP Fast-Track Student Hopes to Utilize a MPP and JD to Make the World Better

October 28, 2020

Hi I’m Danielle Cross! I am an undergraduate Political Science and Psychological Sciences double major. I joined the Department of Public Policy (DPP) Fast-Track program after interning at the Connecticut General Assembly in Spring 2020. While my aim is to attend law school, the internship exposed me to the world of policy research and policy analysis. I realized that I not only wanted to work on specific cases in the legal field, but also gain the skills to research and advise on policy issues, whether directly for government or as part of a non-profit or outside organization. The Fast Track program allows me to hone those skills with application-based learning alongside other highly motivated students who really care about making the world better.

I have been a research assistant in the Intergroup Relations Lab in the Psychology Department. I also completed a social psychology research project through the UConn IDEA Grant program to study the effects of counterstereotypical African American movie casting decisions on White American’s attitudes towards African Americans.

Danielle Cross, Fast-Track Student

I am a Freshman Outreach coordinator for Cru (a Christian group on campus), a coordinator for the Honors Initiative for Prospective Students and a Project Team Leader for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Leadership Board. I enjoy going on UConn Community Outreach Alternative Break trips and volunteering with the UConn American English Language Institute as a conversation partner. I was fortunate enough to have interned at Saxe, Doernberger & Vita Law firm as part of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity pipeline program, and also interned for Senator Julie Kushner through the Connecticut General Assembly Legislative Intern program from January until this past August.

My goal is to attend law school and become a practicing attorney. While immigration and employment law are particularly interesting to me, I look forward to allowing future internships and experiences during my undergraduate years, in the Masters in Public Policy program and during law school to provide greater exposure to various legal avenues, and narrow down which would be best for my interest and skill set. With a Masters in Public Policy, I hope to not only practice in these areas, but to also do policy research and affect policy outcomes.