Students

William G. Benson serves as Staff Assistant on the Domestic Policy Council at The White House. Previously, he interned in the offices of then-Senator JD Vance, Senator Ted Cruz, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and the America First Policy Institute. In addition to his work in government, William co-founded The American Postliberal during college and served as editor-in-chief. His writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The American Mind, The Federalist, The American Spectator, The Daily Caller, Crisis Magazine, and The New Digest. He received his B.A. in politics from The Catholic University of America and lives in Washington, D.C.

Breda Brosey is a rising senior at the Catholic University of America, pursuing a double major in Politics and Business. Previously, she interned with the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation, the office of Congressman Mooney, and the office of Congresswoman Malliotakis. She has also worked as a Research Associate for the Federalist Society. On campus, Breda currently serves as Vice President of the Network of Enlightened Women, Communications Director for the College Republicans, and a Campus Ministry volunteer. She is passionate about religious liberty, aiming to advocate for policies that protect individual liberties, uphold constitutional principles, and combat government overreach.

Ryan Buckton is from Kings Mountain, North Carolina. He recently graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a minor in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. His first assignment as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force was attending Carnegie Mellon University for their Science, Technology, and International Relations graduate program. Afterward, he will begin the Air Force’s Special Tactics Officer training pipeline at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Gabriel Cao is a senior in the Columbia–Tel Aviv Dual Degree Program, majoring in economics, psychology, and philosophy. His academic focus includes international immigration, US-China relations, and religio-political tensions. Professionally, he has been involved with the American Enterprise Institute, Ernst & Young, and the OPPO Technology Strategy Center. On campus, he actively participates in the Columbia Christian Union, The Columbia Witness, and the Alexander Hamilton Society. In his leisure time, he enjoys basketball, reading, and bowling.

Peter M. Constant Jr. is a dual major student at Jessup University, pursuing B.A. degrees in Public Policy and Psychology with a minor in Theology, expecting to graduate in May 2026. A proven leader and researcher,
he has served as Student Body President and was a Civic Leader Fellow with the Ronald Reagan Institute. His published works include articles in The Wall Street Journal and California Policy Center, focusing on policy and education. An Eagle Scout and recipient of the 2023 Student Leadership Collaboration Award, Peter is dedicated to community building and innovative policy solutions.

Daniel Cook is a rising senior at Thomas More College in New Hampshire, after which he is considering pursuing law. He is Catholic from a large family in Northwest Montana. Daniel was homeschooled up until high school and then attended a private Catholic school. He discerned out of seminary after spending a little over five years there. Daniel enjoys the outdoors, hunting,
and fishing, and loves living in the mountains.

Jack Creel is a student of Political Theory at Patrick Henry College. There, he studies Christian symbolic thought, theological anthropology, and political philosophy. Jack also works as a Policy Analyst in DC, working on issues such as online exploitation, censorship, and Christian-Conservative cultural issues.

Jason Delgado is a junior at Regent University studying Government and History. He is the President of Regent’s Newman Club and serves on the executive board of the Undergraduate Debate Association and Regent’s Students for Life chapter. He is also a student ambassador for Regent’s Thomistic Institute chapter.Jason has served in the General Assembly offices of the New Jersey State Legislature, and on an election campaign for Virginia’s 2nd congressional district.

Nathan Desautels recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a dual degree in Philosophy and Theology, as well as Political Science. He has interned at the Center for Immigration Studies and contributed op-eds to The New York Post and Daily Caller. His academic work explores the intersection of faith, reason, and political order. Nathan plans to pursue a legal career in public service aimed at restoring politics grounded in natural law, human dignity, and the pursuit of the common good.

Ashley DeVore is a rising senior at Hillsdale College, where she is a politics major, dance minor, and George Washington Fellow. Ashley is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and participates in Hillsdale’s interdisciplinary Collegiate Scholars Program. She performs and choreographs with Hillsdale College’s resident student dance company, the Tower Dancers. Ashley has interned for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Heritage Foundation, and she hopes to pursue a career in public policy after graduation. Ashley is from Lexington, KY, where she was involved in pro-family advocacy and research with the Family Foundation of Kentucky.

Will Fletcher graduated from the University of Florida this May and studied European Studies and History. While at UF, he was a member of the Hamilton School’s Society of Fellows and wrote a thesis on the Library of Congress and the Civic Education of the Early Republic. He worked on the Commentary desk at The Washington Examiner this summer and wants to work in higher education in the future. In his free time, you can catch him listening to Southern literature and playing basketball.

Wyatt Flicker is a Eugene du Pont Scholar at the University of Delaware studying International Relations, Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, and History, with a minor in Religious Studies. His academic interests lie at the intersection of classical political thought, religion, and contemporary global affairs. He has held research and journalistic roles with the Biden Institute, the Rumi Forum, and the Institute on Religion and Democracy, and has received fellowships from the Hertog Foundation and the Fund for American Studies. He hopes to pursue graduate study in classics, with a focus on Eastern Christianity in late antiquity.

Thomas Gangemi is secretary of the Holy Cross College Republicans and co-president of the college’s ISI chapter. He is an active member of the Society of Saints Peter and Paul and the Student Programs for Urban Development, a community service organization on campus. In his free time, Mr. Gangemi enjoys visiting art museums, attending classical music concerts, and working out in the gym. He is also an avid cinephile.

Moira Gleason is a junior at Hillsdale College studying English and journalism. On campus, she is an editor for the campus newspaper The Collegian, a George Washington Fellow in Public Policy, and an academic writing tutor. She also studied Pope St. John Paul II’s philosophy of personalism in Krakow, Poland, last summer. During her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, pick-up sports, and trying to teach herself photography. She hopes to pursue a career in long-form journalism, writing at the intersection of politics and culture.

Trent Gruber is an undergraduate student majoring in Bible Exposition at Liberty University. In addition to his study of the Bible, Trent has a strong interest in conservative political philosophy and its application in modern society. Trent is a two-time UndergraduateFellow with the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has also participated in multiple seminars hosted by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, as well as enrichment programs facilitated by the American Enterprise Institute, The Heritage Foundation, The Russell Kirk Center, The Cato Institute, and The Leadership Institute.

Walker Haber recently graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in Economics, a B.A. in Political Science, a minor in Spanish, a minor in Mathematics, and as a member of the University Honors Program. He received Departmental Honors in the Department of Economics for his research on fourth down decisions in the NFL. While at KU, he lobbied in U.S. Congress on behalf of an Anti-Hazing bill, served as an IRISE student scholar, and learned to play the KU Campanile (a big bell instrument). Upon graduation, Walker is planning to attend KU Law to pursue a J.D.

Maxwell Harden is a third-year economics and philosophy student at Florida State University. His primary academic interests are in public choice theory, metaethics, and aerospace policy. He plans to complete a graduate degree in economics before attending law school.

Marina Hardy is a graduating senior from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She studies psychology and neuroscience, with a minor in political science. Marina is currently discerning law school and is interested in first amendment issues and constitutional law.

Kevin Hopkins is a junior studying history and English. He is originally from Princeton, NJ.

Calvin Horne is a Philosophy and Political Science major at St. Ambrose University and previously served with the 932nd AES squadron out of Scott Air Force Base, IL, where he separated as a Staff Stg in 2021. He has research interests in individualism, social reality, and philosophy of mind. Calvin is a member of Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO.

Elan Ilfeld recently graduated with a B.S. in biology and will be starting law school in the fall. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading and conversations with friends. Some of his favorite topics are the good life, the human condition, literature, and science. Additionally, he plays tennis and other racquet sports, loves movies and music. He also enjoys travel and spent his junior year abroad in Australia and England. In his pursuit of eudaimonia, he aspires to virtue, wisdom, and grace.

Isaac Jirak, a senior at Harvard College, is studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Philosophy. His research focuses on developing new and reliable methods for the manipulation of robotic hands in industrial and prosthetic applications. Aside from his academic work, Isaac is involved in several student and professional groups for the promotion of free speech,
public discourse, and intellectual vitality. He has done research with the Human Flourishing Program and coordinates guest lectures as a student leader of the Harvard chapter of the Thomistic Institute. His writings have also been published by The Harvard Salient. Following his undergraduate, he plans on studying for a master’s degree in theology.

Emma Judge recently graduated from the University of Dallas with a BA in History. Currently, she is a graduate student at Christendom College, working towards her MA in Theology with a focus on Moral Theology. Her goal is to contribute to the future of American education by educating students about stories of the American past.

Thomas Juhasz is a rising senior at Harvard studying classics and computer science. He is spending the summer at Cooper & Kirk, a constitutional and regulatory litigation boutique, and has held fellowships with the Hertog Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, and Stanford’s Hoover Institution. With an interest in Western philosophy, Thomas spent a
semester at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, where he studied Thomistic philosophy and theology. He also loves learning new languages and performs with various chamber and orchestral ensembles in the greater Boston area.

Kayla Kenders is a first-year J.D. Candidate at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. She recently graduated from Colorado Christian University with degrees in English and Philosophy, as well as a minor in the Augustine Honors Great Books Program. Kayla has worked as a Summer Legal Assistant with Alliance Defending Freedom, along with Acton Institute and the Pontifical John Paul II Institute. In her free time, she will likely be poring over Shakespeare and American midcentury novels, watching great movies, and purchasing overpriced lattes.

Mackenzie Kent is a rising senior at St. Ambrose University studying Political Science and International Studies with minors in Pre-Law and Classical Studies. She is involved in many campus organizations, including Mock Trial, Model United Nations, and College Republicans. Upon graduation, Mackenzie plans to attend law school.

Lauryn Klostreich is a senior at Florida State University, double majoring in International Affairs and Political Science with a focus on U.S. Intelligence Studies. Originally from Seattle, she now lives in Palm Beach, FL. She recently interned at the Florida Department of Agriculture under Commissioner Wilton Simpson and is currently interning on Capitol Hill for Congressman Jimmy Patronis. This fall, she’ll return to FSU to pursue a master’s in Applied American Politics and Policy.

Sipho C. Langa is a researcher and soon-to-be alumnus of the University of Central Florida, where he studied Economics, Computational Science, and Cognitive Science. His work sits at the intersection of Cognitive Science, Mathematics, and Human-Computer Interaction. With experience spanning industry, government, and academia—including roles at SAS, the Federal Reserve, and MIT—Sipho focuses on building ethical, human-centric technologies while deepening the understanding of human behavior. A guiding theme in his most recent work is: “To name is to number, to number is to code—but some names still escape the lattice of logic.”

Pierce Law is a junior Political Science major at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. Pierce serves as the chapter president of the Angelo State chapter of ISI, as well as being a member of various student
organizations, and currently works for Texas State Representative Drew Darby in his district office. Pierce plans to pursue a career in law, with a focus on energy, oil, and gas law. In his free time, Pierce enjoys reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with his girlfriend.

John Paul Le is a rising senior at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, studying Philosophy and Biology on the pre-dental track. His hobbies include rock climbing, mixed martial arts, and musical instruments. His favorite musical genre is hip hop and just to be clear, the greatest epic is The Aeneid.

Emma Limor is a recent graduate from Princeton University with a BSE in Operations Research, Financial Engineering and minors in Cognitive Science, History,and the Practice of Diplomacy, among others. During her time as a student, she was involved in political fellowships and organizations such as the James Madison Program, Alexander Hamilton Society, and the AEI Students Scholars Program. Post-grad, Emma isworking as co-Founder of an agriculture and climate startup, Nirvana Carbon Solutions, to improve forestry practices and crop waste management for family farms in Central America and Asia.

Anna Myron is a rising senior at Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH, majoring in history and political science. She is from Butler, PA, about 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh. This summer, Anna is interning at the local office of her state representative. She loves debating, discussing all political ideas, and is looking forward to learning more about the American political order.

Jacob Ogan is pursuing a B.A. from Boyce College and an M.Div. from Southern Seminary, where he works in the President’s Office conducting research for The Briefing and various writing projects. He also works at the Commonwealth Policy Center, where he often writes for several Kentucky newspapers and occasionally such outlets as The Federalist, National Review, and Providence Magazine. Though a native Tennessean, Jacob lives in Louisville, where he is a member of Kosmosdale Baptist Church. But true to his East Tennessee roots, he continues to play the banjo—probably to his neighbors’ frustration.

Iliana Owen-Alcala is a senior Global Studies major at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Last year, she studied Political Science at Sciences Po in Paris. Iliana has interned with the Washington Examiner, Congressman Tom McClintock’s office, the Heritage Foundation, and Reform California. Driven by her Catholic faith, Iliana approaches both her studies and her work with a deep sense of purpose, eager to advocate for policies that reflect the dignity of every human being and contribute to the common good.

Erin Quinn graduated from Mississippi State University in May 2025 with a B.A. in English and minors in History and Classics. She has published her article “‘Beyond His Native Town’: Travel and Alienation in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” in the literary criticism journal Criterionand has presented at several conferences, including the Association for Core Texts, Courses Undergraduate Conference, and the 2024 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention. Erin intends to pursue graduate studies in nineteenth-century British Literature and a career as a professor of English.

Lorelei Santa Maria is a Stanford Human Biology bachelors and Community Health Prevention Research masters student. Her focus is on pediatric health and cognition. She also has research experience in oncology and pediatric neurology. Through the Girard Society, she is actively involved with peer mental health, youth mentorship, and debate.

Matthew Schick is from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Cairn University with a B.A. in Politics and a minor in Bible. During his time
there, he participated in the Honors Program, Student Government, and was a tutor. During his time in college, he also finished an honors thesis and participated in ISI’s summer school on rhetoric and debate. After graduating, Matt became a fellow of the John Jay Institute. His end goal in life is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

Porter Schmidt is a Catholic. He is currently a senior at the University of Dallas. Porter focuses on the intersection of Christian Social Doctrine in modern politics, liberal or otherwise.

Joseph Seiba is currently at Stanford University, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and is pursuing a master’s degree in computer science. He is a member of The Stanford Review, the Rene Girard Society, and Stanford’s Men’s Rugby team. In his free time, Joseph enjoys gardening, reading, and traveling.

Ainsley Stellman is currently a student of Political Theory at Patrick Henry College. After graduation, Ainsley hopes to pursue a PhD in Moral Theology and focus her studies on how a Trinitarian anthropology informs Christian ethics. Ainsley’s work has been published in Aletheia and The University Bookman. In her free time, Ainsley tries to seek out beauty, whether on the hiking trail or in the art gallery.

Christabelle Sutter is a rising junior at Columbia University studying Classics, with a specialization in Ancient Greek. Along with ancient languages, she takes interest in the disciplines of theology, philosophy, and mathematics. Christabelle’s professional ambitions lie in academia or law, and her extracurriculars most prominently involve a debate society for moral and political philosophy, Columbia’s Catholic ministry, and the Columbia College Republicans club. Christabelle resides in Princeton, New Jersey.

Aidan Underwood is a sophomore at Wheaton College, Illinois, majoring in History and International Relations with a minor in Economics. His intellectual interests lie in understanding global power dynamics and the historical events that shape international relations. In addition to his studies, Aidan is an active member of the Wheaton Debate Team, where he applies the conceptshe studies to real-world situations. After graduation, Aidan plans to pursue a career in diplomacy, geopolitical analysis, or international trade control.

Audrey Vestal is a recent graduate from Dallas Baptist University where she earned a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. Further, she has recently completed the Shaftesbury Fellowship with the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy where she researched the United States’ grand strategy in light of the natural law. She is interested in Thomistic philosophy and ancient Greek political thought. Next, she hopes to earn her MA in Politics from the University of Dallas.

Max Whalen is a junior at Cornell University, studying Government. He has interests in studying law, politics, and journalism. He serves as both the Executive Vice President of the Cornell Republicans and the Editor in Chief of The Cornell Review. In his spare time, you can find Max reading or delving into political theory.

Kendall White is a junior at Pomona College studying politics and history. She’s the editor in chief of The Claremont Independent and has interned with The New York Post’s D.C. bureau and Tangle News. Kendall also served as a Claremont McKenna Open Academy fellow, through which she led discussions on the political thought of Leo Strauss, the spirit of the liberal arts, and the role of student journalism. She is a student of Arabic and Spanish and will be studying abroad in Morocco in the fall.

Garrett Ziss is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. Garrett’s interests lie in economics, technology, conservative political thought, and numismatics. Of these areas, he has accomplished the most in numismatics by researching numismatic topics and publishing the results in numismatic journals as well as presenting them at conventions. His wildest aspiration is to someday be Secretary of the Treasury.