UHP Seniors!
The Presidential Administrative Fellowship (PAF) is now looking for applicants. PAF is a two-year program that covers full-time GW master’s degree tuition and required fees and provides an opportunity for part-time work in a GW office. As a PAF you will have the opportunity to give back to GW, earn tuition toward your master’s degree, and further your professional career.
Applicants must be completing their GW undergraduate degree in Fall 2015 or Spring 2016, have completed at least 60 credits at GW, have a 3.25 GPA at the time of application, and have applied to a GW master’s degree program by January 11, 2016. Also, Law (JD/LLM) and Medical School (MD) students are not eligible for the PAF program. PAF applications will be available on GWork by September 21, 2015, and applications are due by Friday, October 16, 2015 at 11:59 PM.
Please join us for an information session to meet current fellows and learn more about the fellowship program.
– Monday, September 21 from 5-6pm, Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) 209
– Tuesday, September 22 from 6-7pm, Marvin Center 308
– Wednesday, September 30 from 7-8pm, South Hall Community Room
– Thursday, October 1 from 1-2pm, Marvin Center 308
– Friday, October 9 from 5-6pm, Marvin Center 403
For more information, email paf@gwu.edu to connect with a current fellow!
–The following post is written by UHP alums and Presidential Administrative Fellows Adam, Allison, Austin, and Jess.–
Hey, UHP! GW’s Presidential Administrative Fellowship is currently looking for qualified applicants. We’re looking for candidates who have a 3.25 GPA or above (…that’s all of you) and an interest in attending a GW graduate program and giving back to the University for the next two years!
In case you didn’t know, there are currently fourUHP alums who are Fellows (we attached a photo to prove it). Because we know you’re smart and have already seen the dates and deadlines, we wanted to give you a bit more information about what the experience of being a PAF means to each of us.
We all really enjoy our experiences as PAFs, and would love to see moreUHPers apply to be PAFs this year! If you’re interested, we would highly encourage you to attend one of the following info sessions, or get in touch with us personally: Wednesday, October 2nd from 6:00 to 7:00 pm – Marvin Center 407 Friday, October 11th from 5:00 to 6:00 pm – Marvin Center 403
Keep on reading to hear about what it’s like to be a PAF straight from the Fellows’ mouths! Left to right: Allison, Jess, Austin, and Adam Austin:
Hello UHPers! My name is Austin Frizzell and I graduated from the Honors Program in 2013 with a degree in Human Services. I am currently a Masters of Public Health candidate in the School of Public Health and Health Services. I am also placed in the Office of the Dean in the School of Public Health. The opportunity to earn a graduate degree is an essential part of the PAF experience and so far I have found that my UHP education has been very helpful, though sometimes in unexpected ways.
I am only a little more than a month into my MPH program, but I am already using my human genetics knowledge from Scientific Reasoning and Discovery in my class on the biological basis of public health. My Self and Society course on gender and sexuality is also proving useful in designing health interventions in Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health. And even though no professor has asked me to analyze Chuang Tzu or Nietzsche (yet), my Origins course on happiness still provides a more complex understanding of human desires and needs that are essential to health. Although it was sometimes difficult to see the uses of a broad liberal arts education like the one you receive in the Honors Program, it has certainly helped prepare me for graduate school.
Jess:
For those of you who I haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet, my name is Jessica Fern, and I am a 2012 graduate of the University Honors Program. I am currently a second-year Presidential Administrative Fellow pursuing a Master’s of Public Policy, focused on child health policy, placed in the university’s Office of Government and Community Relations.
Just as the small, tight-knit community and intellectual curiosity of UHP drew me to GW for my undergraduate education, the Presidential Administrative Fellowship convinced me to stay at my alma mater to earn a graduate degree. While our alumni are actively engaged and spread across the country, fostering a strong professional community, the five other PAFs in my cohort have been my support system, study group, and close friends. The PAFamily (we’re cheesy – deal with it!) has truly shaped my graduate experience and allowed me to give back to the university in a meaningful way.
Allison:
I’m Allison Rohde and just like Jessica, I am a 2012 graduate of the University Honors Program. When I first came to GW I was so excited to be in DC that I barely spent any time on campus. I interned on the Hill, and at non-profits downtown and on U-Street. Even on weekends I often found myself in other parts of the city visiting museums and going to Caps/Nats games (depending on the season, of course). While I loved being a Colonial, I had no idea about any of GW’s internal workings or campus initiatives.
Now as a second-year Presidential Fellow, that has all changed thanks to my placement in the Provost’s Office working with Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Planning Forrest Maltzman. In my placement I have worked on projects including departmental budgeting, implementing portions of the Strategic Plan, and the Columbian College Dean’s search. As a Master’s of Public Policy Candidate specializing in education policy, these projects are especially meaningful to me. I have been able to see how a university is run from the inside and have gained tangible skills that I can take with me once I graduate from GW. An entry level job anywhere else in the education industry would never afford me the opportunity to work on such instrumental projects. My preceptor (PAF lingo for boss) really cares about my professional interests and makes sure to give me valuable tasks and experiences that will help me with my long-term career goals. I am proud of the work GW is doing and feel incredibly lucky to have a hand in many of the university’s initiatives.
Adam:
… and I’m Adam Bethke, and I am a 2013 graduate of the University Honors Program. I am currently a first-year Presidential Administrative Fellow pursuing a Master’s of Public Administration, concentrating on program evaluation and analysis, placed in the university’s Division of Student Affairs.
Some of the most amazing opportunities that you have as a Presidential Administrative Fellow come from the program’s commitment to the fellows’ professional development. For example, PAF has an Academic and Professional Development Fund similar to the SURE award for Honors Students. This fund helps PAFs pursue academically and professionally enriching opportunities. For example, I’m currently in the process of applying to go to the American Evaluation Association’s annual conference in October to attend sessions on assessment and evaluation in higher education.
Additionally, Sara Melita, a member of the PAF Advising Team, is always helping us frame our experiences as professional development opportunities. These experiences compliment a competency-based professional development curriculum. With Sara’s guidance, we each cover a professional competency as part of the discussions during our weekly meetings. The intention and accountability that comes from working on enhancing your professional competencies with a cohort make it a lot of fun to strengthen your skill sets.
And no matter what you end up doing, good luck with your Senior year!
Adam, Allison, Austin, and Jess
Being a Presidential Administrative Fellow has a lot of benefits. Give back to GW, and get tuition for your grad degree are among them. Check it out and apply!
