The 2015 Presidential Management Fellows Program named six students and alumni of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs as fellowship finalists on March 26.

Michael Wasylenko, senior associate dean for academics and administration at Maxwell, said the PMF Program has been a long-standing tradition at Syracuse University due to the competitive and prestigious nature of the program.

“(The fellows) are chosen by an outside panel, but they receive some coaching and mentoring from faculty here,” Wasylenko said.

Wasylenko said he hopes new fellows will be successful and do well in their careers, just like some of the current PMF alumni who also attended Maxwell. Wasylenko said many fellows come out of the PMF program with “higher than a good job in the government.” He added that when federal agencies are looking to hire new employees, they go through the list of PMF fellows first.

Once notified, semifinalists for the PMF program traveled to Washington, D.C. to do the interview portion of their application. According to the PMF website, 600 out of 7,800 applicants were awarded finalist positions for 2015.

“(The fellows) have to be achieving students. I believe (the panel) is looking for temperament and leadership skills; not just the ability to do well in classes,” Wasylenko said. “Leadership, talent and it helps to have work experience. Many of our students have these skills.”

Jesse Campion, a third-year law student, said he is “honored and blown away by the opportunity” to be a PMF fellow. He said because he was an infantry officer in the U.S. Army for six years, he found that his dedication to the public has helped him focus on developing as a leader in the federal government.

He said his goal is to develop as a senior leader in government, and the PMF program is a great way to start down that road.

Campion said he plans to start his fellowship in late summer or early fall after he takes the bar examination in July. He said he would like to work somewhere in national security, specifically with law and policy dealing with issues supporting the intelligence community.

When Stacy Lemery, a 2013 Maxwell alumna, found out that she was a PMF finalist, she was slightly surprised. She said because the application process was so difficult, there was no way of knowing if she did well or not.

“I hope for more career opportunities. A lot of different government agencies look at the program,” Lemery said. “I am really excited. A lot of distinguished people have come from the program and I want to follow in their footsteps. I strive for great things myself.”

Lemery, who currently works on Haitian politics for the Department of State, hopes to “take it up a level” at the Department of State now that she is a PMF finalist. She said she is hopeful there will be opportunities to meet people who have already gone through the program.

She added that she wanted to “help people better understand each other and not be afraid of each other.”

Said Campion: “I think public service is important; selfless service is important. I sacrificed a lot for the good of my country. Public service is taken for granted and I think everyone should do their part. I think it’s important.”

Published on April 6, 2015 at 11:50 pm

Contact Katelyn: kmfaubel@syr.edu