Batten is proud of our students’ pursuits inside and outside the classroom. From athletics to internships to volunteer work, our students serve in various capacities across the country and the world. 

MPP '25 Shane Cohen recently won the NCAA championship in the men’s 800m final. His love for running and for the University of Virginia, in particular Batten, is apparent through our recent Question and Answer session with him. 

Q. How did you get started with running? Did you ever dream you’d reach this point? What were your running goals/other goals as a child?

A. I started running when I was in 7th grade, I only did it because all of my friends did it which was the main reason I got into it in the first place. My parents do not come from a running background and because all my friends joined that was the main reason I did. My running goals were essentially to win as many races as I could. I did not care much for specific times and I was just so competitive that if I won every race, eventually I would run a fast enough time. It's actually pretty ironic because I thought once I was done with high school running, I thought I was never going to run competitively again, I went to University of Tampa just for academic purposes and eventually missed playing sports which led me to walk on to the team there. After putting together practices and taking it more seriously, I was able to qualify for nationals and become an All-American for my sophomore and junior years (my freshman year was cut short because of COVID). 

Q. How did winning the NCAA championship compare to some of your other achievements/accomplishments?

A. This was probably the most rewarding feeling I have ever experienced. Competing as an individual and not as part of a team shows all of the hard work that was put in all pay off. Representing UVA made it all the more special, with the coaches taking a chance on me and then being able to live up to my ability.

Q. What are you doing this summer?

A. I am currently doing a remote internship with the Office of Personnel Management. While being home, I am trying to see all my friends since this is the only free time I have. And of course, I am running a lot of miles. 

Q. Why did you decide to apply to Batten? What do you hope to do with your degree?

A. I come from a finance undergraduate degree and I wanted to do something that could rope me back to the business-related world. Being a part of the Batten program will give me the opportunity to (hopefully) join a consulting firm and be able to combine my business background with all of the knowledge and experiences that I am gaining from UVA.

Q. Anything else you’d like to share?

A. Applying to the University of Virgina was probably the best decision I have ever made. The people, teammates and professors I have met along the way have proven that.