Malachi Bridges is from New Haven, CT and a senior at the University of Connecticut. Currently he is double majoring in Political Science and Africana Studies with minors in Public Policy and Urban & Community Studies. He joined the Fast-Track Master of Public Administration (MPA) program because he dreams of being the Mayor of his hometown of New Haven, CT. He loves his city and has an intense interest to understand how it functions so he can be its best asset once entering the field.

He is currently a Residential Advisor (RA), a member of the CLAS Student Leadership Board, a two-year Research Assistant, SURF Grant Recipient, a member of INROADS, a SCHOLA²Rs House Alum, and an SSS Alum and Peer Mentor.

For three years, Malachi has interned for the City of New Haven. Each year he assumed a different role, as the Director of Outreach Program and as the Coordinator of Corporate Sponsorships, so he could have a holistic experience of civil service. While in these roles, he worked to revitalize an urban district and aid in the reintegration of at-risk youth and troubled populations back into productive society, he also did client consulting, marketing, and financial management. Most notably, he oversaw and helped develop the Thomas/Winchester Homeownership Project (TWHP) and the Newhallville Youth Ambassador program (NHYAP). The TWHP is an initiative by the city to build affordable single-family homes and encourage local residents to purchase them through a down payment assistance program. The NHYAP is a summer program for youth, providing them with jobs, training, and college readiness opportunities.

This past summer, Malachi conducted research and oral histories under Dr. Fiona Vernal on the modern and legal mechanisms which continue to thwart Black homeownership. He was featured in UConn Today for his research.