Washington, D.C. Student Advisory Committee

Nicole Cage is a Junior University Scholar studying Great Texts, Philosophy, and Political Science in Baylor’s Honors College. Nicole participated in the Spring 2023 Baylor in Washington Cohort. While in D.C, she interned at the Religious Freedom Institute and the Ethics and Public Policy Center. At Baylor, Nicole is the Editor and Chief of The Standard, an independent student newspaper dedicated to honesty, civility, and hope. She is an active member of her sorority, Chi Omega. During her free time Nicole loves reading, watching movies, and having her friends over for meals together. After Nicole graduates in May 2025, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in academia.

Michael Chapple, Jr. is a junior from Jones, Oklahoma pursuing degrees in Political Science and Philosophy with a pre-law designation. A member of the Honors College, Michael is a student in the Honors Program and Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. On campus, he serves as President and Chief Executive Editor of the Baylor Undergraduate Law Review, Associate Justice of the Baylor University Student Court, and holds membership in the Baylor Pre-Law Society, Pi Sigma Alpha, Alpha Lambda Delta, and Golden Key International. He is also a William Carey Crane Scholar through Baylor’s Institute on Faith and Learning. Previously, he interned for the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Judicial Conference, Oklahoma House of Representatives, and worked as an undergraduate assistant at the Baylor Law School. He currently serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for Limitless Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to promoting health equity among underserved populations, and is an active member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. As an inaugural fellow for Baylor in Washington’s Summer Fellowship for Religion and Social Life, Michael will serve this summer in Washington, D.C. working for The Trinity Forum and Redeeming Babel. Following graduation, Michael hopes to attend law school and become an attorney.

Aubrey Gilliam is a senior University Scholar studying political science, international relations, and Great Texts in Baylor’s Honors College. She has previously interned with the United States Department of Defense, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, and the Hudson Institute's South and Central Asia Program. Additionally, she was a 2022 Political Studies Program Fellow with the Hertog Foundation and a semester study abroad student in the Netherlands. Aubrey is currently a Provost's Scholar for Baylor's Office of Engaged Learning, and she has previously participated in the National Model United Nations conferences in New York and Washington, D.C. After graduation, Aubrey plans to attend graduate school and hopes to pursue a career in public service.

Griffin Quinn is a Senior from Frisco, Texas. He is working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance with a minor in Legal Reasoning and Analysis. He attended the Washington Semester program in the Fall of 2023 and was an intern for Representative Monica De La Cruz. At Baylor, Griffin has dedicated his time as an Actor, performing in multiple productions. He has also spent most of his time at Baylor as a member and secretary of the Theatre Student Society at Baylor University. After graduation, Griffin will attend the Disney College Program, hoping to attend law school after its completion.  

Josie Sawyer is a senior majoring in Eastern European Studies and Political Science. She participated in the Spring 2023 Baylor in Washington Cohort where she worked as a legislative and press intern for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. She has interned in other Senate offices, both in-state and on the Hill. At Baylor, Josie is an active member of student government, Baylor Ambassadors, and mentors new political science students. During her free time, Josie volunteers through a non-profit to help Ukrainians improve their English language skills. She also loves reading, watching movies, trying new recipes, and rooting for the Boston Bruins. After Josie graduates in May 2024, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in public service.  

Lee Scheffe is a senior at Baylor and studies in the interdisciplinary Baylor Business Fellows program. He will graduate with majors in Business Fellows, economics, political science, and a minor in international studies. Mr. Scheffe has worked as an organizer for a number of political campaigns. He has also worked in the private nonprofit sector, lobbying on behalf of the real estate industry. He serves as the secretary of the Theta Nu chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. While in Washington, Lee interned with the Center for Public Justice. Upon graduation in May 2024, he plans to pursue a career in nonprofit advocacy.

Matthew Schreiner is a Senior from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina who is studying Economics and Philosophy on the pre-law track. As a member of Baylor's honors program, a BIC student, and CCM of Baylor's Honors Residential College, Matthew is highly invested in the success of his fellow honors students and is interested in many interdisciplinary realms of study. He has served as a legal intern for Jolley Law Firm in HHI, giving him the opportunity to learn how a firm works behind the scenes and increase his attorney-client relationship skills. This previous semester, Matthew began two major conference papers with the assistance of a professor in the communications department on the subjects of understanding judicial oligarchy through the rhetoric of James Kilpatrick and constructing an ideological response to the classism surrounding child labor laws in the United States. This summer, he will be interning with the Center for Christianity and Public Life in Washington, D.C. Matthew is currently writing a thesis for the honors program on the long-standing history between Stare Decisis and Originalism in the Supreme Court, and hopes to attend law school following his graduation from Baylor next year. This is the next step in his goal to one day become a constitutional lawyer.

Ashton Willcox, a sophomore from Great Falls, Virginia, is pursuing a double major in political science and corporate communications at Baylor University. Ashton's academic journey began at another institution before taking a gap year to work as the Research Director and Youth Director for the Dr. Oz for US Senate campaign in Pennsylvania.  With the completion of the campaign, Ashton returned to the DC area to work on Capitol Hill as Staff Assistant for Congressman Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY).  He is passionate about mentoring others who are interested in DC and US politics to get involved and achieve their ambitions. Following graduation, Ashton hopes to return to Capitol Hill and contribute to the political arena as a communications staffer.

Caroline Williams is an undergraduate junior, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, double-majoring in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Environmental Studies. During her time in the Baylor in Washington Fall 2023 Cohort, Caroline served as a Legislative Intern in the Washington D.C. Office of Senator Ted Cruz. Additionally, she has previously been involved with the University of Mississippi’s Trent Lott Leadership program. At Baylor, Caroline is involved in Pre-Law Society, Chi Omega Fraternity, International Justice Mission, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Baylor Panhellenic, and serves as Vice President for the Women’s Lacrosse Team. Upon graduating in May of 2025, she plans to return to Washington D.C. with hopes to work with policy.

Sage Yassa is a junior from Plano, Texas. She studies Political Science, International Studies, French, and Great Texts as a University Scholar. She is a Baylor2Law Scholar and a member of the Baylor Pre-Law Society. Sage interned at the Religious Freedom Institute during the Spring 2022 semester. She also participated in the American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program and the Witherspoon Institute’s First Principles seminar in the summer of 2022. She is a member of Highland Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, and volunteers in the 6th-grade Sunday school classroom. She is also an Ironman 70.3 Finisher and a member of the Baylor Triathlon Team. Sage intends to work in the JAG Corps or pursue a career in domestic social policy.