Hailing from Burke, Virginia, Jackie joined the Batten School’s Bachelor of Arts program in 2019 while completing her second major in Global Public Health. Following her time at Batten, she went on to pursue her Master of Public Health at UVA before being accepted to the Presidential Management Fellows Program where she completed different rotations at agencies connected to health policy. Today, she is a Health Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one of the 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Get to know more about Jackie below!
Why did you choose UVA Batten?
- I chose Batten because of its unique, interdisciplinary curriculum in public policy and leadership. As someone who is interested in health policy, I found the Batten undergraduate program to be the best vehicle to explore my academic interests and career goals by allowing me the autonomy to explore different areas of health policy through my coursework. In addition, I sincerely appreciated the leadership component of the program, where we learned and applied elements of social and behavioral psychology to develop professionally and become effective communicators. Lastly, I double-majored in Global Studies with a concentration in Global Public Health, so the two academic programs paired very well together.
How would you describe the Batten community?
- The Batten community is a community of individuals who exemplify servant leadership. Regardless of policy interests or background, we care and seek solutions to solve the toughest policy challenges. The curiosity and eagerness of my classmates to learn were always so encouraging, and it really felt like I was in a cohort of peers who wanted to make a positive impact on the world.
How were you able to explore your policy interests while at Batten?
- The Batten curriculum allows students to explore their individual policy interests through the coursework. In my case, I was able to explore health policy in all my classes, such as Comparative Policy History, where I looked at alcohol use disorder and alcohol control policies of five different countries for my final group project.
What’s one way Batten helped you grow personally or professionally?
- As someone who joined Batten with minimal knowledge and experience with public policy, the Batten undergraduate program provided an effective learning environment to apply these concepts to real-world problems. In addition to learning the theoretical components of public policy, I was able to develop practical skills, such as effective communication through my writing.
Similarly, how did Batten prepare you for your professional career? What skills and experiences at Batten set you up for success?
- The course curriculum and structure of the Batten undergraduate program prepared me well for my graduate studies and career trajectory. After graduating from Batten, I completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. Soon after completing my MPH, I became a Presidential Management Fellow at the NIH, where I explored different career fields and health research areas for two years. During my last rotation, I served as a special assistant to the Principal Deputy Director of the NIH, where my responsibilities ranged from preparing briefings and other materials to reviewing, preparing, and advising on policy and legislative documents. After completing the Presidential Management Fellowship, I am now a Health Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Mental Health.
What course or academic experience was a highlight of your time at Batten?
- During my time at Batten, I took the Negotiating Decisions & Managing Conflicts seminar course taught by Professor Eileen Chou, one of my favorite professors at UVA. I thoroughly enjoyed her Behavioral Sciences in Civic Leadership course and wanted to take another of her classes. This one-credit course taught me lifelong, invaluable skills and to be a better leader and negotiator.
Beyond academics, what are some other memories that stand out from your time at Batten?
- My favorite memories at Batten were always the Batten Chili Cook-Offs, formerly the largest undergraduate admissions recruitment effort for the school. Teams of current Batten students and faculty would bring their chili for a tasting competition, and all UVA students and faculty were able to stop by and vote for their favorite chili in Garrett Hall. I was one of the undergraduate representatives during my first year in the program, and I planned logistics and created the prizes for the winning teams. It was truly a super fun, tasty event that really brought not only the Batten community together, but also the UVA student body.
What piece of advice would you give to a student considering Batten?
- My advice to any prospective Batten students is to take that leap of faith and apply to the program. When I was applying to Batten, there seemed to be a perception that Batten students end up only in certain career fields, such as law, government, and non-profit organizations, or that you must have extensive, “relevant” experience to be a competitive applicant. I believe the highlight of the Batten program is the versatility and application of the curriculum, as well as the transferable professional skills you learn organically through the courses. I came to Batten with a public health/global health focus, and many of my peers in my cohort either came into the program with specific policy interests or explored/discovered their policy interests. Even if your post-graduate plans aren’t related to public policy, the soft skills that you naturally acquire through your coursework apply to any future endeavors.
