Nathaniel Cross, graduating with honors in Spanish and Political Science, is one of two undergraduate recipients of the 2025 Merrill P. Freeman Medal.
Cross will be recognized alongside six other graduating seniors during Commencement for their extraordinary accomplishments in and out of the classroom. The Merrill P. Freeman Medal is named in honor of Merrill Freeman, who served the U of A as a regent and chancellor. Qualifications for the award include outstanding character. The other recipient is Katie Nguyen, graduating with dual degrees in Physiology and Medical and Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Born in the United Kingdom, Cross has called Tucson home for most of his life. Cross’s own migration to the United States at a young age helped him understand the importance of public service and constituent casework in immigration fields. Throughout his undergraduate career at the U of A, Cross has worked to empower migrant communities as an intern with Chicanos Por La Causa, a legal aid nonprofit, by helping put on biannual naturalization fairs that help residents apply for citizenship at no cost. His work led to his selection as an intern for the university’s Mellon-Fronteridades program.
Cross’s commitment to increasing the accessibility of quality immigration services is tied to his greater personal philosophy of empathetic and compassionate public service. As a political science research assistant, Cross is studying methods to reduce gun violence and violent crimes around Tucson by investing in alternatives to law enforcement and collaborations with community partners.
Cross is a multi-semester recipient of the Dean’s List with Distinction and Highest Academic Distinction awards. He was also named a United States Senate Youth Program scholar, and has received the Frances McClelland Youth Vision Award and the Tara S. O’Connor Memorial and Patricia MacCordale scholarships.
In 2024, Cross began an accelerated Master of Public Policy program in the School of Government and Public Policy. After graduation, Cross plans to finish his master’s degree and hopes to pursue international public service as a Fulbright Scholar or with the Peace Corps.