Danielle Gosselin

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was born and raised in New Milford, Connecticut, and graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in Social Determinants of Health and Behavior.

As an undergraduate, I volunteered with Read for America providing educational support, encouragement, and resources for students, many from low-income or immigrant families, in the Geneva, New York school system. While studying abroad in Grahamstown, South Africa, I volunteered as an English teacher at Nombulelo Secondary School. This experience highlighted the importance of education access in rural, underserved communities, and ever since it has motivated me to provide education and care in such communities. My work as a pediatric dental assistant has been a great stepping stone toward this goal: working alongside one of few pediatric Medicaid providers in my hometown, I see firsthand how barriers like financial hardships and language barriers affect adequate healthcare access.

By participating in the UST/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program, I and my future healthcare workers will be able to provide services to and form connections with communities that are most in need. I hope to gain the skills necessary to advocate for a holistic approach to my patients’ health, and am so excited to join the network of Connecticut healthcare workers who are passionate about changing how underserved populations receive healthcare. Alongside my interdisciplinary peers, I will strive to become a culturally and socially aware advocate for my patients’ health and wellbeing, capable of impacting both smaller and larger communities.