Danni Keating ’23 was born and raised in Hunan, China, and moved to the United States at the age of nine. Today, she is enrolled in the 3+1 program at the Barney School of Business, where she is majoring in risk management & insurance and is on track to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, as well as an MBA with a concentration in international business.
Danni acknowledges that the Barney School helped prepare her for the next professional steps in her life. She is grateful to the University of Hartford for providing her with the study habits and time management and leadership skills that she knows will come in handy in the future.
“Having been in a sorority and holding board positions in several clubs allowed me to step outside my comfort zone to try new things,” Danni explains. Among her positions were the vice presidency of Gamma Iota Sigma, an international insurance fraternity, and membership chair of the Barney Leadership Council.
Danni is currently doing an internship with Travelers in its Product Management Development Program. She also studied abroad at Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands, an experience she says has been life-altering, as well as useful for when international travel becomes part of her professional world, which is something she is fairly certain will happen.
“Being Chinese-American and having had exposure to different cultures during my time abroad has only reinforced my desire to further pursue my career goal,” she says. “It’s a way to become a more well-rounded and understanding person and to feel a deeper connection to cultures that may be different from your own. This is an increasingly crucial skill as the world is becoming more interconnected.”
Danni has come to realize the vital importance of understanding the differences in various cultural norms among countries. Some American customs, she explains, tend to be taken as impolite in the Netherlands. It took a while for her to get used to that.
“The more time I spend in Europe, the more accustomed and open-minded I become to the cultural differences in communication,” Danni says. “I would definitely encourage students to study abroad. The best time to do it is in college.” She is soon to embark on another trip, which will mark the eighth country she has visited during her academic journey.
“I was once scared to study abroad,” Danni admits. “Whatever it is that you have dreamed of doing, just take that leap of faith and go for it! Your past self will thank you.”
Danni Keating ’23, Barney School of BusinessThe more time I spend in Europe, the more accustomed and open-minded I become to the cultural differences in communication. I would definitely encourage students to study abroad. The best time to do it is in college.