Michael Daly ’12, of South Burlington, Vt., has received a Fulbright grant for the 2014-15 academic year to pursue a one-year master’s degree in international relations at the University of Sussex. His goal is to work in the government following the grant, preferably in either the intelligence community or the U.S. Department of State.
A political science and economics double major at Holy Cross, Daly said his experiences —both inside and outside of the classroom — have given him a desire to serve his country.
"During my time at Holy Cross, I loved studying about past conflicts and the intricate political and ideological dynamics that push countries to hostility and war,” he said. “I also took a class called U.S. Intelligence Community, which examined the role of various intel agencies (CIA, FBI, NSA, etc.) in gathering information about America’s adversaries and protecting national security interests.”
At Holy Cross, Daly was a four-year member of the varsity men’s ice hockey team, and served as captain his senior year. He also volunteered with second graders at Elm Park Elementary School in Worcester through Student Programs for Urban Development.
Since graduating from Holy Cross, Daly went to play professional hockey in Norway for a short time before his plans were curtailed by an injury. He then moved to Washington , D.C. to intern with the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He has worked at a marketing research firm in Waltham, Mass., for the past year.
Daly said he is grateful to Holy Cross for helping him apply for and earn the Fulbright grant, especially Anthony Cashman, director of the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies.
“I was hesitant to even apply, being two years out of college, but Dr. Cashman was a godsend in guiding me through the process,” he said. “I was also fortunate to enlist professors Melissa Boyle (economics), John Carter (economics), and Ward Thomas (political science) for their recommendations and am forever grateful to them for helping open up this opportunity for me. Maura Hume in the Career Planning Center was also really helpful. Holy Cross is a special place because it supports current students and alums like myself to pursue their career objectives. And I would encourage current students to make the most of all the resources Holy Cross offers.”
Each year approximately 1,900 U.S. college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange, awards grants to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 300,000 participants — selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.
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Daly ’12 Receives Fulbright Grant to Pursue Master’s Degree in International Security
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