In Their Words: Christopher Connelly

Name: Christopher Connelly

Department: Economics and Politics

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? Dean’s Undergraduate Research Award

What year do you expect to graduate? 2018

College: Oakes College

Where do you call home? Huntington Beach, CA

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? One of the major selling points for me (aside from the beautiful campus) was the friendly and collegial academic environment. This was shown as I was doing the research for this project, as I was supported throughout the process by professors, my fellow undergraduates, and graduate students.

What is your field of focus? Economics and Politics

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I will be attending law school at the USC Gould School of Law next year.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? In my time as an undergraduate, the most memorable event was likely getting the opportunity to work as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the economics department.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa
Cruz? Take advantage of the academic resources the university has – they will not be handed to you, but if you seek out an opportunity (ie. research, field study, etc.) it will greatly increase what you get out of your education.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?
This scholarship will help to offset my decreased earnings as a result of spending significant time on research; furthermore, the money will be specifically helpful in paying down my undergraduate student loan debt that I hope to minimize as I am heading to graduate school.