Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy graduates enter a variety of sectors and fields after graduation. While many go on to public service careers, working in local, state, federal, or even international policy areas, other Batten graduates go on to work in the private sector, including finance. We asked one of our amazing private sector alumni, Sebastian Singh (Accelerated MPP ‘24), about his time at Batten and his post-graduate school career.
Hailing from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Sebastian joined the Batten School in 2022 while completing his undergraduate degree in Economics from UVA. Following his time at Batten, he worked with CIMA Consulting as an Advisor doing business development and consulting work. Today, he works in financial services as an Associate for Institutional Credit branch at Third Bridge in New York . He acts as an outsourced research partner for credit funds across an array of investment strategies (private, liquid, and opportunistic credit, secondaries, infra, growth equity). Additionally, he works on energy, infrastructure, sustainability, and regulatory research as well as more general cross-industry topics, particularly as they relate to AI risk across three firms. On top of this, he also helps with internal deal origination, client account management, and tracking the market and outreach to clients with relevant news flow. Get to know more about Sebastian below!
Why did you choose UVA Batten?
- Although I was an economics major, I was interested in policy. I think the analytical and strategic skills developed in an MPP also help when problem solving across industries.
How would you describe the Batten community?
- Batten is tight knit and people look after one another. The Batten community also deeply values relationships, and I still keep up with people from my class.
How were you able to explore your policy interests while at Batten?
- Batten gives you the flexibility to explore your policy areas of interest across classes, internships, Applied Policy Project, and independent work through the research centers.
What’s one way Batten helped you grow personally or professionally?
- Batten taught me how to think about problems and approach them methodically.
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?
- Regulatory understanding is important, and as a result of Batten, I have a handle on how changing regulations affect companies across various industries. All the classes I took also helped to develop a general analytical mindset.
What experience was a highlight of your time at Batten?
- The Applied Policy Project – over the course of the year, I could delve deeply into one topic and lead my own research project. Professor Annie Rorem was also one of the best professors I’ve had and was a great advisor. It’s the most hands-on thing you will do outside of internships prior to working. It’s a legitimate opportunity to showcase what you’ve learned and have a true impact on something – my client had me present it to their team and use it as an internal document for reference in their current work.
Beyond academics, what are some other memories that stand out from your time at Batten?
- Several stand out! To name a few, attending Batten Ball [the Batten Graduate Council’s big social event for graduate students], enjoying a happy hour in Dean Solomon’s Pavilion on Grounds, listening to the weekly Batten speakers, and working as a Lead Research Assistant with PEGLLLLab.
What piece of advice would you give to a student considering Batten?
- Batten gives you the ability to learn how to think about all sorts of problems and build a framework to approach them, to be challenged and learn with like-minded individuals, and to explore niche policy interests.
