Class of 2021 Senior Profile: Daniel Crovo

Class of 2021 senior Daniel Crovo with a student. — “Find your community. It is so important to take healthy risks and find that space,” says graduating senior Daniel Crovo ’21 (ED). (Photo courtesy of Daniel Crovo)

Editor’s Note: As Commencement approaches, we are featuring some of our Neag School Class of 2021 graduating seniors over the coming days. Crovo also appeared in UConn Today’s feature about graduating seniors.

Major:

Special Education with a concentration in Mathematics

Extracurriculars:

UConn Future Educators: membership outreach chair; UConn Club Water Polo: team leader; UConn Community Outreach Service Days: program leader; UConn Husky Sport (2021)

Hometown:

East Hartford, Connecticut

Why did you choose to study this major/minor?

In terms of special education, my brother has Autism and Cerebral Palsy, and after my father passed away, we became close. I became involved in all his programs from a young age (baseball, swimming, Special Olympics, and his camp). I have stayed involved ever since and built many relationships with his peers, and it has grown my love for working with individuals with disabilities. I am still involved in all his programs to this day, including running his swimming and baseball programs in East Hartford. My experience in Neag, especially student teaching in Windsor, has grown my love for what I want to do and I would not trade anything for the world.

Who is your favorite professor and/or class? Why?

EDLR 3547: Introduction to Sports Based Youth Development with Justin Evanovich. This class opened my eyes to new perspectives and having critical conversations in a university classroom. The class allowed me to question the system in which we are in that is considered “normal.”

“UConn has given me the experience that allowed me to grow as a professional, especially in my field placement as a student-teacher at Windsor High School.”

What did you accomplish during your college experience that you’re most proud of?

The thing I am most proud of throughout my college experience is widening my world perspectives, especially through my Alternative Break in Detroit, Husky Sport, EDLR 3547, and my clinical placements. All of these experiences supported my journey in broadening my perspective on the importance of words, language, systems, and generalizations that people typically use and make daily subconsciously, which have a large impact on the world around us.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I will be continuing my education to earn my master’s at UConn in educational psychology. Then I plan to teach somewhere in the greater Hartford area as a special education teacher.

How has UConn prepared you for your future career?

UConn has given me the experience that allowed me to grow as a professional, especially in my field placement as a student-teacher at Windsor High School. I have found a placement and setting I truly love, and it has put me in various special education settings that helped me to explore an array of possibilities over the last two years.

How has UConn shaped you as a person?

UConn provided me new perspectives on the environment around me and gave me a life experience that I have never had before.

If you could summarize your experience at UConn in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, flourishing, active

What advice would you give to a student just starting at UConn?

Find your community. There are so many places on campus where you can find a space where you can grow and feel comfortable, and it is so important to take healthy risks and find that space.