Current position: Senior Financial Aid Officer, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Past leadership positions: Vice President, University of Iowa Student Government; Chair, University of Iowa Lecture Committee; Co-chair, University of Iowa Environmental Coalition

Class: 2003 - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (B.S. Political Science, Business Minor)

"My first two years at the University of Iowa, I was not very active in student activities…It wasn’t until I became involved that I really understood what an amazing community the University of Iowa is and how being involved in student activities can have a positive effect on your academic career and connection to the UI," said Dan Rossi, University of Iowa and Division of Student Life alumnus. As Vice President of University of Iowa Student Government, he discovered his passion for college tuition and affordability, preparing him to continue his work as an active member of his statewide financial aid professional community.

Rossi is currently the Senior Financial Aid Officer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and says his position is a unique challenge every day. His student leadership experiences have given him "the confidence and tools to interact with anyone about any subject." When reflecting back to his time as a student leader, he felt a sense of empowerment, "Student leadership is an amazing opportunity to understand your own self worth, work with others, and…make change in a community."

Rossi’s advice to current UI students is to "listen and take advantage of all the opportunities student leadership provides. Never again will it be so easy to make a positive impact on your community." In all of Rossi’s travels, he says that he has never seen a comparable institution to the University of Iowa. He proudly explains its uniqueness as "a big school with a small school feel. At Iowa you are able to make an impact in the world from a smaller stage."