Duncan Cowie

Duncan Cowie knew that majoring in English would greatly aid his pursuit of a law degree, in part because of advice his father received during his own legal career.

“My dad used to be a lawyer, and his boss had given him a stack of papers making fun of their lawyer jargon,” Cowie recalls. “Essentially, it was saying, ‘To be a lawyer is to be a good writer,’ so that's why I leaned into English.” 

Cowie, who hopes to work in public policy or environmental law, is also majoring in political science at UMass Lowell.

“English and political science is a good combination, especially since I hope to be a lawyer,” says Cowie, who notes that the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences makes it “very easy to double-major without taking on too much extra work, which I appreciate.”

As a member of the Mock Trial team, Cowie competed in the Mock Trial National Championship Tournament in Cleveland during his sophomore year, gaining memorable experience with fellow aspiring lawyers.

“It was a bit stressful because we were in an actual courtroom with real judges, but I really enjoyed it,” he says. 

Originally from Washington, D.C., Cowie came to UMass Lowell through the District of Columbia College Access Program (DC-CAP), a nonprofit that prepares students in public and public charter high schools to succeed in college through counseling and scholarships.

“I liked the idea of being close to Boston, and I also had a really great orientation,” says Cowie, who was able to stay with a DC-CAP Scholar at River Hawk Village during a campus visit and get a feel for college life at UML

Through the course Teaching Writing, which supports those who wish to further their knowledge on writing practice and how to teach it, Cowie discovered an interest in tutoring and began helping students in the Writing Center. 

“As a tutor, I feel successful when I help students be more confident writers,” he says. “It feels rewarding.” 

As a junior, Cowie also landed an internship with the Lowell Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for, educates and works with Lowell residents to meet critical needs. There, Cowie spent time canvassing, campaigning and collecting signatures. 

“It's made me more knowledgeable about Lowell, and also more involved,” he says. “I now know who my city council member is, which is important.”

Cowie hopes to pursue similar opportunities before completing his degrees.

“I want to keep expanding my horizons, because internships and experiences like these are too useful to pass up,” he says.