“My favorite part of working for Senator Ted Cruz is getting to see how he thinks about the emerging legal issues of our time," said PHC graduate Jake Settle (GOV-American Politics & Policy ‘19).
Patrick Henry College students are frequently chosen for internships and even eventual careers at organizations like The White House, The US House and Senate, The Attorney General’s Office, and many, many more. PHC students in the government major develop a Biblical understanding of their field and how to work in it.
As the Director of Rapid Response for Senator Cruz, Settle interacts with reporters, writes statements for the Senator, helps draft press releases and speeches, books TV interviews, and travels with the Senator to interview appearances.
“It’s a privilege to be able to hear Senator Cruz's thoughts on emerging trends in the legal world and see how his mind works when it comes to talking about complex legal issues in a way that resonates with Americans,” Settle said.
Senator Cruz stands out to Settle as an example of how to live out your values with kindness. “He is a strong, principled conservative who’s uncompromising, but he is also someone who is incredibly kind to people who disagree with him.”
In addition to this job, Settle attends night law school at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, with plans to graduate this spring. “Honestly, law school is easy compared to Patrick Henry," he said. Settle enjoyed PHC’s pre-law program and says Dr. Jesse Meriam prepared him for the LSAT. After graduation from law school, Settle will clerk on the Fifth Circuit and the Ninth Circuit.
While attending PHC, Settle thought he wanted to go into policy, but he says the communications route has been great. He just interacts with policy in a different way. “In communications, you turn policy into things people can actually debate about and understand,” he said. During his time at PHC, he interned for the White House on the Vice President’s speechwriting team. After graduation, he worked in the Trump White House as the Correspondent to the Vice President. After the administration, he served as the Senior Communications Advisor for Congresswoman Lauren Boebert before moving to Senator Ted Cruz’s office.
“I would definitely encourage Patrick Henry students to consider at least interning on the Hill,” Settle said. He regularly interacts with PHC interns and alumni in D.C., including his wife Emma, who is the Communications Director for Congressman Andy Ogles. “It’s been really fun to be in the trenches with her,” he said. “One of the reasons I chose Patrick Henry College is because I wanted to be surrounded by people who have similar passions, interests, and values.”
PHC prepared Settle for balancing deadlines and prioritizing tasks, as well as for writing, research, and critical thinking. “PHC did a great job explaining a lot of the beliefs underlying the issues you see on the news. My education helped me to better understand where people are coming from and to evaluate their worldview,” he said. “PHC also did a good job teaching me how to disagree without being disagreeable.” He has witnessed Members of Congress come together on bi-partisan issues.
“The Hill as a whole doesn’t have many Christians, so it’s critically important for people who care about these issues to serve on the Hill,” he said. “That’s why PHC is so important. It trains people to go out into public service and bring light to a dark place.”
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Patrick Henry College challenges the unacceptable status quo in higher education by combining the academic strength and commitment to biblical principles that elite institutions have lost; a commitment to high academic rigor, fidelity to the spirit of the American founding, and an unwavering biblical worldview.
