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As a recent graduate of the University of New Haven’s political science program, I have spent much of the past two years working for the , helping create school safety programs for school districts across the country. I believe it was my experiences at the University and studying political science that helped prepare me for success in this role. Throughout my time as a student, I was actively involved in the Mayor’s Advisory Commission (MAC), working closely with West Haven city leaders and as part of several award-winning teams.

Each day at Sandy Hook Promise I think about Model UN. I have the chance to communicate regularly with stakeholders and community members from all walks of life to talk about the importance of school safety. We discuss difficult and emotional subjects, while leaving partisanship and politics at the door.

Through Model UN, I learned how to be emotionally intelligent and how to manage projects through practice. Because of these experiences, I became comfortable conveying complex messaging, resolving conflicts, and finding common ground. I believe these are three critical skills to finding success in any field.

The culture in the Political Science Department was certainly a key to my success. Nowhere else will you develop life-long relationships with your professors or have an adviser like Dr. Chris Haynes who works tirelessly to support your best interests.

I get to go to work every day fighting for what I believe in, and I enjoy doing it. I owe a lot of that to my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned from the political science program at the University of New Haven.

Ryan Dougherty ’19, who earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of New Haven, now works for the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation.