As the world grows increasingly complex and diverse, old playbooks of leadership development are becoming less useful. At UVA Batten, we embrace the importance of a well-rounded human experience to shape the leaders who will be able to meet the challenges of today’s domestic and international policy landscape.
In this spirit, one of Batten’s core objectives is to expand accessibility of our school to highly talented and high achieving transfer students who traditionally may not have had a clear pathway to applying, but who belong here at Batten.
“I’m thrilled we are joined this year by a cohort of passionate, accomplished transfer students who’ve found their way to UVA, sometimes against great odds,” said Anne Carter Mulligan, senior director of admission at Batten. “Welcoming these students into our community isn’t just about offering a seat at the table; it’s about affirming their talents and building a stronger future policy world shaped by those who truly represent it.”
This fall, we are proud to welcome seven transfer students into our Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Leadership program who have all traveled different paths to arrive at Batten. Here are some of their stories.
Batten’s LEAD program
The Batten School launched the LEAD program last year to increase transfer opportunities for students from Virginia’s Community College System (VCCS). The pilot phase of the program enables eligible students at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) to prepare for direct admission to Batten by taking prerequisite courses on Grounds at UVA while completing an associate degree. With the future launch of online prerequisite courses, Batten will expand the LEAD program to promising students at other VCCS schools across the Commonwealth.
Students like Marie Kenney. A native of nearby Fluvanna County, Virginia, Kenney was drawn to leadership through her time in Scouting America, where she is currently the lodge chief for the Shenandoah Valley Lodge and serves more than 300 peers. While attending PVCC, she learned about Batten at a college fair.
“It caught my eye because of its concentration on leadership,” she said. “Once I found out about the strong program for national security, I was hooked. I was met with open arms by the Batten faculty, making sure I had a smooth transition and introduction to the school.” Kenney has no doubt she will have a career serving her country, which she hopes will be in the CIA, focused on counterterrorism.
Many roads lead to Garrett Hall
Sean Gillaspie took a different journey to get here. A native of Flat Rock, Michigan, Gillaspie attended four colleges and universities, eventually earning his associate degree at Henry Ford College. At each stop, he took on a variety of leadership roles, including co-founding the National Society of Leadership and Success chapter at Wayne State University. And in between, he held jobs as a voice actor, licensed optician, journalist, stage manager, middle school teacher, and nonprofit founder.
Gillaspie said a series of family setbacks and tragedies formed his core values. His father and brother both succumbed to drug use, his father by suicide and his brother by overdose. His mother died of cancer, and he is now a caregiver for his 86-year-old grandfather.
“I’ve spent my life fighting upstream: against addiction, against despair, and against systems that don’t work for people,” he said. “My entire worldview has been shaped by this idea, that the systems around us can either save us or fail us. And that those of us who survived them have a duty to fix them.”
He stumbled across UVA Batten when he was researching the top universities he wanted to apply to. “No other school recognized how much my lived experience, my pain, and my perseverance could become purpose. Batten saw it. That’s why I’m here.”
Maxim Dorokhov is another incoming transfer student. His hometown of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, is a center of Russian population and culture, and is known as “Little Moscow.” Dorokhov attended the Honors College at Miami Dade College where he earned his associate degree in political science.
While there, he interned with a member of the Miami Dade School Board. “It was an amazing experience where I got to witness the creation of a policy that would affect hundreds of thousands of students,” he said. He learned about Batten from one of his professors who encouraged him to apply.
“The Batten School had the resources, and more importantly, the faculty that would not only advance but revolutionize my understanding of public policy,” Dorokhov said. His chosen area of focus is national security, particularly drug control and intelligence.
To students considering transferring to Batten
Gillaspie, Dorokhov, and Kenney are all enthusiastic about endorsing UVA Batten as a top choice for those who are considering a career in public service. Here’s what they would say to potential transfer students:
Gillaspie: “If you’ve lived a thousand lives before this one, caregiving, working, fighting to survive, whatever it may be, Batten has room for you. This place doesn’t just admit polished résumés. It embraces real people with real scars and real fire. Transferring isn’t starting over; it’s continuing forward, finally with wind at your back. If you’ve ever wondered whether your story matters in public service, I promise you, at Batten, it does.”
Dorokhov: “Do it. Batten truly gives you the opportunity to become the changemaker you aspire to be. While public policy may seem broad, Batten helps you discover the area where your passion and impact align. Batten’s resources, supportive faculty, and collaborative community allow for real leaders to be forged in a time where uncertainty prevails.”
Kenney: “If you have a passion for serving and leading, Batten is the place for you. Even in a large school, Batten maintains a small community that allows for close engagement, where you know everyone around you. The faculty genuinely care and want to get to know you, and they will do everything they can to help you succeed.”
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