May 11, 2009 

MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Sherrard
202-994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

NINE GW STUDENT LEADERS NAMED PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIVE FELLOWS

Fellowship Includes Full Tuition, Housing Stipend and GW Employment During Pursuit of Graduate Degree

WASHINGTON--The George Washington University has named nine of its graduating seniors Presidential Administrative Fellows. Over the next two years, these students will pursue master's degrees at GW and secure a job placement with an administrative department at the University. The Presidential Administrative Fellowship also provides full tuition and a housing stipend.

"It has been a great pleasure getting to know and to work closely with the Presidential Administrative Fellows during my first two years on campus," said GW President Steven Knapp. "Their unyielding commitment to GW is evident as they balance their studies, their work and ambassadorial role. I wish the graduating fellows much success in their future endeavors, and I look forward to working with the incoming class over the next two years as they make their mark on campus."

On Friday, May 15, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., the University will host a reception in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom to celebrate these incoming fellows and honor the eight graduating students--Caitlin Anne Carroll, Kenan L. Cole, Bianca Garcia, Sara C. Gimmy, Joshua E. Lasky, Matthew E. Saunders, Lamar A. Thorpe and Titilola Williams-Davies--who have now completed their two-year fellowships.

This year's Presidential Administrative Fellows are:

Michael Corey Barenbrugge, Geneva, Ill., will graduate with a bachelor's degree in political communication. Barenbrugge works as a project assistant in GW's Office of Government, International and Community Relations and serves as a student representative to the GW Board of Trustees External Affairs Committee. He served as service coordinator to the GW Office of Community Service's Neighbors Project, house scholar for GW Housing Programs and vice president for community affairs for the GW Student Association. He recently was awarded the 2009 Baer Award for individual excellence. In graduate school, Barenbrugge will pursue a Master of Public Administration.

Selamawit Bedada, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will earn a bachelor's degree in international affairs, economics and development. Bedada is a 2007 recipient of GW's Martin Luther King, Jr. award and serves as an intern for UNICEF. She served as a member of the Colonial Cabinet, a house scholar for GW Housing Programs, an international student ambassador for the International Services Office and a student supervisor with the GW University Police Department. She is a GW Presidential Academic Scholarship recipient and is founder and president of GW-UNICEF. Bedada will pursue a Master of Public Health with a concentration on health policy and a graduate certificate in HIV/AIDS studies.

Daniel Bernstein, Voorhees, N.J., will graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Bernstein, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, is a GW Presidential Merit Scholarship recipient and an Outstanding Academic Achievement scholar. He served as a GW Student Association senator, a University Hearing Board justice, and founding father and recruitment chairman for Sigma Chi Fraternity. Through the GW Shapiro Public Service Fellowship, Bernstein interned with the D.C. Public Defender's Office: Special Litigations Division and HALT for the American Legal Reform in 2006 and 2007. He recently was awarded the 2009 Baer Award for individual excellence. He will pursue a Master of Business Administration.

Christopher Diaz, Hollywood, Fla., will earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Diaz served as campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America, a member of the Colonial Cabinet, house scholar for GW Housing Programs and chief of staff for the GW Student Association Senate. He also served as president and co-chair of the Phi Sigma Pi National Co-ed Honors Fraternity's fundraising committee. He recently was awarded the GW Manatt-Trachtenberg Prize. Diaz will pursue a Master of Arts in higher education administration. 

Natalie Kaplan, Greensboro, N.C., a member of Phi Beta Kappa, will graduate with a bachelor's degree in human services. At GW, she served as a member of the Colonial Cabinet and Order of Omega Honorary Greek Leadership Society and a DJ for WRGW Radio. Kaplan is founder and chair of the Inter-Greek Programming Council and co-founder and president of "The Link" at GW, a community building arts organization. She also served as Neighbors Project service coordinator for Hunger, Homelessness and Poverty, and a D.C. Reads tutor. Kaplan will seek a Master of Public Administration.

Sandra Perez, Boca Raton, Fla., will receive a bachelor's degree in political communication. She is the associate producer for The Kalb Report and was a dean's scholar in globalization. She has interned with WPTV News Channel 5 in Florida and Fox News in Washington, D.C. Perez served as student editor for Euonymous, a literary honors magazine, and student assistant for the GW Global Media Institute. She will pursue a Master of Arts in political communication.

Anna Phillips, San Diego, Calif., a member of Phi Beta Kappa, graduated with a bachelor's degree in international affairs. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Uganda from 2008-2009 and a Rhodes Scholar finalist in 2008. Phillips serves as Girls Kick It Ugandan program coordinator, a comprehensive women's sports program she designed in 2006. Phillips also served as Care International's Kenyan American Soccer Exchange program coordinator and Global Youth Partnership for Africa Ugandan immersion coordinator. While at GW, she was involved in GW Women's Rugby and was a founding member of Students Take Action Now: Darfur. Phillips will seek a Master of Arts in developmental studies.

Brittany Plavchak, Jefferson Hills, Pa., will receive a bachelor's degree in public health. She is a GW Presidential Academic Scholarship recipient and a Distinguished Scholar of the School of Health and Health Services. At GW, she was an active member of the Public Health Student Association, Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, Balance: The GW Ballet Group and the GW Residence Hall Association. Plavchak served as a summer assistant and house proctor with GW Housing Programs, a student medical assistant and a research assistant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Human Subjects Research and Review. She will pursue a Master of Public Health with a concentration in health policy.

Collin Stevenson, Lake Tapps, Wash., will graduate with a bachelor's in international affairs. He was a 2008 recipient of the GW Martin Luther King, Jr. award, 2008 Student Activities Center outstanding student service award and the 2007 Baer Award for individual excellence. Stevenson was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He was captain of the varsity cross country team and vice president and university representative to the Atlantic-10 student athlete advisory council and served three years as a trip leader for the Alternative Spring Break program to New Orleans for post-Katrina reconstruction. He will pursue a Master of Arts in international affairs. 

In its 20th year, the Presidential Administrative Fellowship program was created in 1989 to offer graduating seniors an opportunity to gain valuable educational and professional experience. To date, including this new cohort of nine Fellows, more than 97 students have earned this prestigious fellowship. In addition to their work placements, fellows also serve on committees, help with community service projects, participate in alumni activities and myriad other university initiatives. The program is designed to benefit both the fellows and the university through academic, professional, ambassadorial, philanthropic and personal contributions.

Located four blocks from the White House, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the nation's capital. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs.  Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.

For more about the Presidential Administrative Fellowship, visit http://gwired.gwu.edu/paf.
For more news about The George Washington University, visit www.gwu.edu.

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