Cassie Ameen is a Senior majoring in public policy and getting the Child Policy Research Certificate. Her interests lie in the role of public policy in advocating for children and families.
Cassie's independent research project focuses on the role of parent engagement in local family-serving nonprofits.
Read on to learn about Cassie, her research experiences and journey at Duke, and what she plans to do next.
Q&A with Cassie Ameen
What brought you to Sanford / Center for Child and Family Policy?
In high school, I completed a research project comparing the quality of public schools in high-income and low-income areas. This project was a light bulb moment for me; it was the first time I truly realized how significantly a child’s environment can impact their life trajectory. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to study how public policy could improve children’s environments, and in turn, improve their life outcomes.
When deciding which colleges to apply to, Duke’s public policy program immediately stood out. Sanford offered the education, resources, and opportunities I was looking for, and the Center for Child and Family Policy aligned perfectly with my interests.
I spent my first year at Duke exploring a variety of classes and fell in love with Sanford’s offerings. Although I was still not sure if I wanted to follow a traditional pre-law route or explore research in child policy.
The summer after my freshman year, I interned at a criminal defense firm in Portland, Maine. This experience deepened my understanding of how poor environments and early adversity, especially childhood trauma, can lead individuals to unfavorable life outcomes.
My sophomore year, I returned to campus even more committed to studying policies that could positively change the trajectory of children's lives. I joined a research team at Duke’s Law School focused on trauma-informed judicial practices in North Carolina’s juvenile justice system, and I taught an after school class on social-emotional skills at a local elementary school.
What professor had the most impact on your journey here? Why?
The summer following my sophomore year, I was still conflicted about how I might want to approach issues in child and family policy. I was not sure if I wanted to go to law school, take on a political position/internship, or start a career in research. However, things quickly began to take shape when I reached out to Dr. Katie Rosanbalm.
Dr. Rosanbalm took the time to share about her research projects that support children and families in North Carolina. During that conversation, I felt I had found someone with the same interests and motivations as myself -- someone who saw the world the way I did, and someone who had dedicated their career to the issues I care about. I was inspired.
During my junior and senior years, Dr. Rosanbalm regularly mentored me, and I worked for her team as a research assistant. I supported her projects to implement trauma-informed policies in schools and childcare centers. Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy quickly became my home, and it always will be. I love the people there, I love the work that they do, and I feel a true sense of belonging when I step into the office.
Can you describe your research experiences while at Duke?
During these last two years, I let my curiosity and passions guide me into a variety of positions. I continued my research to support the implementation of trauma-informed juvenile justice practices in North Carolina Courts and continued teaching the after-school class on social-emotional skills. I interned at the Hunt Institute, an organization dedicated to improving public education. I interned at Citizens for Juvenile Justice in Boston and wrote a report on the unintended consequences of mandated reporting for child neglect. I joined a research team to examine the academic experiences of youth in foster care. Lastly, I worked with a local nonprofit, the Durham Children’s Initiative, to complete my thesis on strategies for increasing parent engagement.
Where do you hope to go next?
Next year, I will attend Harvard Law School, where I hope to learn how I can use the law to effectively advocate for children and families. My experiences at Sanford at the Center for Child and Family Policy have taught me so much, and I hope to bring all of these lessons into my legal career.