Meet Our Summer 2025 Religion & Social Life Cohort!
Brooklyn Boyce, a sophomore at Baylor University from Honolulu, Hawaii, is majoring in Business Fellows, Finance, Economics, and Philosophy, with a minor in Religion. She is a member of the Honors Program, Baylor Women in Business, Pi Beta Phi, and also a recipient of the Baylor2Baylor Law Scholarship. As the Service and Events Chair forBaylor’s Christian Legal Fellowship, Brooklyn organizes events and service projects that promote faith-based community engagement. Passionate about combating human trafficking, she interned with Ho’ola Na Pua, a Hawaii-based anti-sex trafficking organization, where she gained valuable experience in fundraising and donor relations.In the summer of 2024, she studied abroad in Oxford, United Kingdom, where she deepened her understanding of theology and society. Brooklyn is thrilled to join the Baylor in Washington Summer Fellowship for Religion and Social Life, where she will further explore the intersection of faith, social justice, and strategic impact. Following graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career as an attorney. This summer she interned at the Washington Legal Foundation.
Michael Chung is a Sophomore from Parker, Colorado double majoring in Political Science and Statistics. Michael is also a part of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program within the Honors College. His academic interests focus on political polarization within the American political system as well as the relationship between religious belief and public policy. Outside of class, Michael is a member of the Service Committee within Baylor’s Honor’s Residential College, a Bible study leader through Koinonia InterVarsity, and a part of Baylor’s Model United Nations team. After Baylor, Michael hopes to pursue a PhD in Political Science and work for a public policy think tank in D.C. This summer he interned at The Trinity Forum.
Keira Konson is a sophomore from Oakton, Virginia studying Religion, Philosophy, Music, and Poverty Studies & Social Justice through the University Scholars Honors Program. At Baylor, Keira serves on the student leadership teams of both ReformedUniversity Fellowship and Grace Church Waco. She is a published writer in the independent student journal, The Standard, and a member of the William Carey Cranes’ Scholars Program. Keira is also a member of the Baylor Women’s Rugby Team. Previously, she worked as the Head Counselor at an outdoor adventure camp, where she combined her passions for leadership and adventure by managing and mentoring a staff of twenty other college students. Keira is an accomplished concert pianist, with multiple performances at Carnegie Hall as well as experience teaching piano to children. After college, she hopes to work either in the nonprofit sphere focusing on human rights and justice or pursue vocational ministry. This summer she interned at Ministry to State.
Lily is a current Junior and a University Scholar with secondary majors in Philosophy and Religion. On campus, she is involved with Eta Sigma Phi and is a peer instructor for the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. She was recently awarded an URSA Grant to conduct her own research on Athenian greed in the Platonic dialogues, as well as to serve as a research assistant for Dr. Anne-Marie Schultz's forthcoming book project The PrecariousCity: Philosophy and Pedagogy in the Midst of Political Strife. Her senior thesis project, directed by Dr. Thomas Hibbs, evaluates the intersection of Heraclitean themes and apophatic theology in the work of T.S Eliot's Four Quartets. In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school in Philosophy and Theology and pursue a career in academia. This summer she interned at the Religious Freedom Institute.
Aiden Magee is a senior University Scholar from Austin, Texas, studying Philosophy, Professional Writing and Rhetoric, Religion, and Legal Reasoning and Analysis on the Pre-Law Track. He is an active member of the Baylor Honors Program and is currently working on his honors thesis. His research explores the ethical implications of the U.S. death penalty, examining the issue through legal, philosophical, and sociological perspectives to determine whether it is a morally justifiable form of punishment. As a member of the University Scholars Program, Aiden serves as a University Scholars Student Mentor, guiding incoming freshmen as they navigate the program. After graduation, Aiden plans to pursue a dual JD/MPP degree, aspiring to practice law in the areas of economic stratification, social advocacy, or policy reform. This summer, he interned at the Center for Christianity and Public Life
Mesha Mittanasala is a junior from San Francisco, California, studying Political Science, Economics, and Ethnic Studies through the University Scholars Honors Program on the pre-law track. At Baylor, she is the Public Relations director for Baylor’s Model United Nations team, a Baylor Ambassador, a photographer and writer for the Baylor Lariat, and a member of Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority. Her honors thesis explores how unjust policies can be rewritten and reshaped by faith traditions. After graduation, Mesha plans to attend law school to further pursue her passion for advocacy, public service, and systemic change. This summer she interned at Thrive Architects, a public policy advising and professional development firm. She will continue her time in DC this fall with the Baylor in Washington Semester Program.
Luke Pelser is a sophomore at Baylor University concentrating in philosophy, psychology, and political science through the University Scholars Major Program with the Honors College. At Baylor, he works in the office of the Institute for Studies ofReligion as a student intern and faculty assistant. He also serves as the Financial Chairon the executive board of the Ethics Society on campus. After Baylor, he would like to attend law school where he hopes to continue exploring his passions for justice, religion, politics, and ethics. This summer he interned at the Institute for Religion and Democracy.
Miya Shimada is a Sophomore University Scholars Major with a Secondary Major in Great Texts and Minors in Child and Family Studies and Religion. She is originally from Seattle, Washington. Professionally, she is considering work in the nonprofit sector or research in the field of child development. This summer she interned at L'Arche.
Thomas Smith IV is a junior University Scholar from Houston, Texas studying Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Professional Writing & Rhetoric with a pre-law designation. Thomas is a member of the Baylor Honors Program and a William Carey Crane Scholar through Baylor’s Institute of Faith and Learning. On campus, he serves as Associate Justice of the Baylor University Student Court, a Student Mentor for the Baylor University Scholars Program and holds membership in the Phi Sigma Tau Honors Society, the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, and the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. Additionally, Thomas is engaged in undergraduate research in the Baylor Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society and the Department of Economics. Previously, he interned for the law firm Rusty Hardin & Associates during the Impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. As an intern he researched and created work product utilized by the House Board of Managers as exhibits during the impeachment proceedings and closing arguments of the trial. He is an active member of Mosaic Waco Church. Following graduation, Thomas hopes to attend law school and become an attorney. This summer he interned for Senator John Cornyn.
Grace Trice is a senior Business Fellow majoring in Economics and Entrepreneurship with a minor in Poverty Studies. She currently serves as Vice President of Baylor Sailing, Traditions Chair for Kappa Chi Alpha Sorority, and a Study AbroadStudent Leader. She is working on her honors thesis on entrepreneurship in developing countries and intends to pursue a Master’s of Public Policy after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys sailing, writing, or photography. Grace is passionate about economic development, human rights, and mental health advocacy and is looking forward to learning more about those topics this summer through the Fellowship for Religion andSocial Life. This summer she interned at the National Security Institute at George Mason's Antonin Scalia Law School.
Ashley Turner is a junior at Baylor University, where she is pursuing a University Scholar degree with a focus on Classics, Great Texts, and Religion, alongside a secondary major in Philosophy. Her academic interests center on the intersection of religious ethics and the public sphere, exploring how principles of justice, freedom, poverty alleviation, and environmental care are shaped by faith traditions. Ashley is also deeply engaged in theological aesthetics, studying how beauty and art influence our ability to know the divine and examining the role of art in a postmodern, often hostile, age. A William Carey CranesScholar, she recently completed an exchange semester at the University of Oxford, where she deepened her understanding of global perspectives on religious ethics. Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a master's degree and Ph.D. in philosophical theology, with the goal of teaching at the university level. She aims to challenge students to think critically in an age of technological saturation, engage in meaningful civic discourse, advocate for Christian ethics in the public sphere, and contribute to ongoing research in various fields of religious and philosophical inquiry. This summer she interned at The Trinity Forum.
Isabella Vennare is a junior at Baylor University where she is studying Philosophy,Political Science, and Economics. She is deeply interested in the intersection between law, policy, religion, and politics. She plans to attend law school after she completes her undergraduate studies. Bella is from a small town in northwestern Pennsylvania, where she graduated Valedictorian from Conneaut Area Senior High. At Baylor, she is a member of the Honors College through the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core Program, a William C.Crane Scholar, an editor for the Baylor Honors College undergraduate research publication, and a Baylor Engage Fellow. Bella’s professional background includes internships in legal and real estate sectors and public policy, as well as experience in small business management. Most recently, she completed an internship with The HeritageFoundation in their Center for Education Policy. She has also spent time studying abroad in Greece, Türkiye, and Italy, as well as serving refugees in Athens, Greece. This summer she interned at The Federalist Society.