Alum Spotlight: Allie Strehle (MPP ’21)
Numerous Batten graduates enter public service careers and do amazing work across a variety of government sectors. While many go to Washington D.C. to work on Capitol Hill, some choose a different path in state or local government, making huge differences all the same. The Batten Admissions team sat down with one of our amazing public servant alums, Allie Strehle (MPP ’21) to learn more about what she has done after graduating from Batten.
Hailing from Minnetrista, Minnesota, Allie joined the Batten School in 2019 after completing her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Government from Texas Christian University. Following her time at Batten, she earned the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship, where she completed rotations with the US Department of Treasury and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Today, she serves as a Budget Analyst for HUD. Get to know more about Allie below!
Why did you choose Batten?
- I chose Batten primarily because of the strong community. I knew early on the faculty, staff, and other students would all challenge and support me in my coursework and continue to do so as I moved into my professional career.
How would you describe the Batten community in less than 10 words?
- Batten is a supportive community that challenges you to grow.
How were you able to explore your policy interests while at Batten?
- Batten provides opportunities to specialize in any policy area you’re interested in. I was able to serve as a TA, tutor, and grader for Econometrics related courses that helped make me a more competitive candidate after graduation because of my strong data analytics and economics background.
What’s one way the MPP helped you grow personally or professionally?
- The program’s emphasis on providing client-facing policy exercises has helped me develop a customer-service oriented focus that I now use daily in my professional career as a public servant.
Similarly, how did Batten prepare you for your first role after graduating or your current role? What skills and experiences at Batten set you up for success?
- Outside of the set curriculum, Batten provides a lot of opportunities to take specialized course loads. I found the shorter session night classes let me supplement my policy work with practical skills like Data Analytics in Excel, Legal Advocacy, and Negotiations.
What experience was a highlight of your time at Batten?
- I loved starting the program with CIBO (Complete Immersion Batten Orientation)! It was a great mix of level-setting on academic expectations and getting to know your classmates you’ll be working with daily for the next two years.
Beyond academics, what are some other memories that stand out from your time at Batten?
- Being in Charlottesville provides a great opportunity to become involved with the local community. During my time at Batten, I got to volunteer weekly at the Haven shelter and worked with other local organizations. Charlottesville also has a lot of fun places to explore during your free time! My friends and I loved walking the Monticello trail or hiking Humpback on the weekends.
What piece of advice would you give to a student considering Batten?
- I would highly recommend getting to know the other prospective and current students, as well as the faculty and staff before starting school. They’ll be your support system and community to help get you where you need to go both during school and long after. I found the Batten community was my family while I was in Charlottesville and the friends and continues to be my community and network in DC.
