Hailing from (in Collin’s words) the City of Champions, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Collin joined the Batten School in 2022 after completing his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Government from Boston College and time with AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity. Following his time at Batten, Collin continued his professional career as a State & Local Government Consultant with Gartner, the same organization where he completed his required MPP summer internship. Get to know more about Collin below!
Why did you choose Batten?
- Graduate school is a team sport and what stood out to me after weighing my options, is that I wanted to be on Batten’s team. I was impressed, yes, by Batten’s faculty, staff, alumni; but after going to Admitted Students Weekend, I was most impressed by the people I learned I could go to Batten with — and lucked into the best decision I can remember making.
Batten is…?
- What good is and how to make good happen
How were you able to explore your policy interests while at Batten?
- You will have incredible opportunities to learn from faculty who’ve already been to the places you want to go as a professional. Put your best foot forward, seek their feedback, and look to every assignment as an opportunity to grow. To use the Scout Motto I learned as a kid: be prepared.
What’s one way the MPP helped you grow personally or professionally?
- It is a lot easier to think of good policy than it is to implement it. In my past life with Habitat for Humanity, I think I had plenty of good ideas, but I needed the right program to implement policies that empower people. The best analogy I can use is that — as a rec softball player with mediocre vision — without the right prescription, I would have a hard time seeing around the diamond. Batten gave me the right lens to observe the full playing field of driving change through public service.
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?
- To use consultant-speak, Batten’s value proposition is that we offer an education in leadership and public policy. I’m sure there are other programs where I would have learned how to run a regression analysis and build a Benefit-Cost Analysis from scratch. Where Batten is unique is that I felt equipped with those “hard skills,” but those were provided alongside understanding organizational dynamics, communicating clearly in a noisy world, and managing change in a world that’s changing faster. Batten positioned me to make good assessments and actualize those assessments into action.
What experience was a highlight of your time at Batten?
- During my second year at Batten, I was able to serve as a TA (Teaching Assistant) for an undergraduate course, Introduction to Public Policy. I loved my students and hope I was able to share my passion for public service with them.
Beyond academics, what are some other memories that stand out from your time at Batten?
- I had two incredible years at Batten where I had the gift of spending time every day with some of my best friends. But if I have to choose one thing I miss, it’s my Wednesday morning hikes with my friend Sam in Ivy Creek Nature Preserve. Charlottesville is a beautiful place — savor it!
What piece of advice would you give to a student considering Batten?
- Embrace Leadership and Public Policy; they are separate skills and if you are looking for a school where your education is a both/and, Batten is the place for you.
