Five
Students Named Finalists for Presidential Management
Fellows
Five students from
the School of Public Policy have been named finalists
for Presidential Management Fellows
(PMF),
one of the federal government’s most prestigious
academic honors.
Bestowed only to the
most promising graduate students in the country,
the fellows include David Christopher,
Emily Morales, Miguel Green, Victoria Paulette-Morgan
and Athena Krell. They were chosen from a pool
that included thousands of applicants. On the PMF
Web
site, a quote
from George W. Bush best describes the magnitude
of the PMF honor: “The purpose of the program
is to attract to the Federal service outstanding
men and
women from
a variety of academic disciplines and career paths
who have a clear interest in, and commitment to,
excellence in the leadership and management of
public policies
and
programs.” Heather
Gaillard, director of SPP Career Services and
Alumni Relations, says
SPP’s finalists reflect
the high standards of the SPP program. “We’re
excited to have our students selected to be potential
future leaders in the federal government,” she
says.
To join the select
group of finalists, SPP’s
students had to undergo an intense and competitive
application
process that included interviews, presentations
and essay writing.
As finalists, they now must compete
for federal jobs that have been specifically earmarked
for
the PMF
fellows, some which allow them to rotate to
different positions
during the two-year program. In addition to
their federally-appointed jobs, the fellows participate
in trainings and other
activities that prepare them for leadership
positions
within the federal government.
SPP’s fellows were among 11 finalists chosen from
GMU. Here is a glimpse at SPP’s finalists
and their thoughts on the fellowship program,
SPP and their
futures:
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Emily
Morales
MA, International Commerce and Policy
Graduation Date: May 2005.
Thesis: “International Intellectual Property Rights Law Disputes”
Current Position: Graduate Assistant, SPP Career Services
• Why did you
apply for the Presidential Management
Fellowship?
I wanted to pursue high-level civilian service, and the PMF program is
such a unique opportunity to meet and work with talented people.
• What do you
hope to accomplish or learn during the
fellowship?
Generally, I hope to learn about the agency I work with and use that
knowledge in future professional positions.
• Describe your
work at SPP.
I am in my final semester at SPP and have primarily focused on international
trade and finance institutions and international trade law and development.
• What are your
long-term career goals?
Eventually I would like to work with the United States Trade Representative’s
office in trade policy development and negotiation.
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Miguel
D. Green
MA, International Commerce and Policy
Graduation Date: January 2005,
Thesis: “A Policy Analysis of the Cotonou Agreement for Trade in
Agriculture”
Recent Position: Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Why did you
apply for the Presidential Management
Fellowship?
I applied for the PMF because I heard it was an excellent way to enter
and advance in federal government service.
• What do you
hope to accomplish or learn during the
fellowship?
I hope to gain a firm grasp of policy formulation and its practical implementation,
seeing how it will impact society in a tangible way.
• Describe your
work at SPP.
Like my fellow students, I’ve been involved with trying to digest
the vast volume of work and extract the real and helpful meanings and
lessons.
• What are your
long-term career goals?
My long-term goal is to retire from the government after being a senior
executive. I would like also to serve in an overseas capacity.
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Athena
Krell
MPP, Education Policy
Graduation Date: May 2006
Current Position: Graduate Assistant in SPP Admissions
• Why did you
apply for the Presidential Management
Fellowship?
I thought it
looked like a great opportunity and once
I knew there were appointments in San Francisco
(where I am moving in August) I just figured
I would give it a shot.
• What do you
hope to accomplish or learn during the
fellowship?
I hope to learn
more about how policies are developed analyzed
and implemented. I have spent the past
two years studying policy and now I am
ready to use my knowledge in a practical
manner, while increasing my skills and
capabilities. I think there is a lot of
good work to be done in the public policy
field, especially at the federal level,
and I hope to get the chance to work on
policies that will help low-income individuals
and children.
• What are your
long-term career goals?
I don’t
know. They change everyday!
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Victoria
Paulette Morgan
MPP
Graduation Date: May 2005
Current Position: Biology Teacher
• Why did you
apply for the Presidential Management
Fellowship?
I applied for the PMF because I am interested in public service and wanted
the opportunity to work in the federal government while rotating to different
agencies.
• What do you
hope to accomplish or learn during the
fellowship?
I hope to gain firsthand knowledge concerning the inner-workings of the
Federal Government. I am also interested in exploring how policies are
implemented after they are created.
• Describe your
work at SPP.
My work at SPP has equipped me with the tools I need to succeed in the
Federal Government, and I am confident with the skills and knowledge
that I have gained while in the SPP program.
• What are your
long-term career goals?
My long term career goal is to continue in the area of public service.
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David
Christopher
MA, International Commerce and Policy
Graduation Date: January 2005
Dissertation: “Offshore Outsourcing: What are the net effects on
employment in U.S. services sector jobs?”
Current Position: Program Specialist in charge of recruitment for the
Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress.
• Why did you
apply for the Presidential Management
Fellowship?
Congressional Research Service uses the PMF program extensively to fill
analyst positions in our policy research divisions, and CRS managers
have been very impressed with the PMF applicant pool every year since
we began participating in the program. It is an elite program, and I
wanted to be a part of it.
• What do you
hope to accomplish or learn during the
fellowship?
I want to gain in-depth and hands-on knowledge of how ideas and perceived
needs are transformed into policy at the federal level. One thing that
is nice about the program is that PMFs can request short rotations (typically
three months) to one or more outside agencies during the two-year fellowship
to gain perspective on how the policy process works.
• Describe your
work at SPP.
My main focus was on trade relations and policy but I also took courses
in marketing and strategic management in order to broaden the applicability
of my degree.
• What are your
long-term career goals?
I eventually would like to move into senior management with a federal
agency.
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