Fellowship fund supports exceptional students dedicated to service for the public good

Today, the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy announced the 2018-19 student recipients of the Bocock and Hitz Public Service Fellowship. Established in 2012 by a generous gift from Fred Hitz and Mary Buford Bocock, the Bocock and Hitz Public Service Fellowship Fund supports outstanding students in Batten’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree programs who are committed to effecting positive change through careers in public service. 

“We take great pride in watching our students answer the call to public service, and strive to do all we can as a school to encourage and invest in that future,” said Jeff Chidester, Executive Director of External Affairs at the Batten School. “Thanks to the generosity of the Bocock and Hitz families, each year we are able to provide critical funding to the next generation of citizen leaders.”

The 2018-19 Bocock and Hitz Public Service Fellowship recipients are:

Class of 2019:

• Rachel Astorquiza of Tampa, Florida. Astorquiza is a member of Batten’s accelerated MPP Class of 2019. She is currently interning with the Illinois Department of Public Health in Chicago.
• Kathryn Babbin of Hudson, Ohio. Babbin is a member of Batten’s MPP Class of 2019. She is currently interning with the U.S. Department of State in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Joshua Margulies of Edison, New Jersey. Margulies is a member of Batten’s MPP Class of 2019. He is currently interning with the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service in Washington D.C.
• Danielle Spach of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Spach is a member of Batten’s accelerated MPP Class of 2019. She is currently interning with the City of Virginia Beach.
• Elizabeth Spach of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Spach is a member of Batten’s accelerated MPP Class of 2019. She is currently interning with the City of Virginia Beach.
• Hannah Sullivan of Richmond, Virginia. Sullivan is a member of Batten’s MPP Class of 2019. She is currently interning with the U.S. Department of Education in Washington D.C.

Class of 2020:

• Merwan Benamor of Al Wardanin, Tunisia. Benamor graduated with a BA in Politics and French from the University of Virginia.
• Anna Haritos of Auburn Hills, Michigan. Haritos graduated with a BA in Modern Greek and Biopsychology Cognition & Neuroscience from the University of Michigan.
• Natalie Moore of Houston, Texas. Moore graduated with a BA in Marketing Management from the University of Memphis.

Recipients of the Bocock and Hitz Public Service Fellowship are chosen based on financial need, along with academic performance and a demonstrated commitment to leadership and service for the public good.

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About the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy: The University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is authoring a new model of public policy education. Of the 250-plus schools of public policy and administration in the U.S., the Batten School has the distinction of being the only one explicitly committed to teaching leadership—how it works, why context matters in decision-making and which actions lead to tangible results. The School’s programs inspire students to act vigorously, effectively and ethically on behalf of the common good.