“I was teaching first grade in West Virginia with Teach for America when Batten decisions were coming out. After finishing bus duty, I noticed I’d missed a voicemail from Jeff Chidester and walked back to my classroom to return the call. We’d done a spring craft earlier that day, so the room was messy and covered in glitter, glue, and paint. Hearing about the acceptance and thinking about my next chapter in that paint-covered classroom, after such a fun day with my students, still makes me smile!”
- Abby Anger, MPP ‘26
“I was in my undergraduate pottery studio trying to glaze all my pieces before the last kiln firing of the semester. I had been in the studio for hours and was exhausted! Getting the call from Jeff made my whole afternoon, and I ran back into the studio to tell my friends the news. None of my art student friends even knew what an MPP was, but were excited to celebrate with me.”
- Winn Philpott, MPP ‘27
“I was working at the Manhattan Public Library when I got the call from Jeff. I actually missed the call because I was helping someone with a reading list! Luckily, I was able to call him back quickly when I got into my office. This was a pretty full circle moment for me because the reason I applied to the program was due to the experiences that I had in that position. I remember getting so excited that I was jumping up and down with my co-worker! I spent the rest of the evening celebrating my acceptance.”
- Ashley Elliott, MPP ‘27
“I got a call from Jeff on a Friday while I was working from home. I just so appreciated the personal phone call and that first moment of welcome, and it was just one of many signs that Batten had the right people and program for me.”
- Porter Bowman, Class of 2028
“It was Friday December 13th; I just finished getting out of a conference and went to Marshalls to do some holiday shopping! Suddenly, my phone started ringing, it wasn’t a saved number, but the area code was Charlotteville, so I trusted it enough to pick it up. On the other end, Jeff Chidester greets me asking how I’m doing, and I rambled for about 60 seconds about my day before Jeff broke the news to me that I was accepted into the MPP program! I was without words but filled with gratitude.”
- Sarai Warrick, MPP’27
“Truthfully, I got a call from Jeff and let it go to voicemail because I didn’t recognize the name or area code! I had just woken up after working a late-night shift as a server at a local restaurant and didn’t want to be bothered. I hadn’t imagined that UVA would get back to me so soon! I listened to his full voicemail until it dawned on me what he was calling about and got back on a call with him within the next 30 minutes. I spent the rest of the day telling friends, family, and coworkers!”
- Brett Navarro, MPP ‘26
