Jordan Fortunati
Spring 2023 John Jay Fellow
Hometown: Ventura, CA
College: Baylor University
Degree: B.A. Political Science
Jordan Fortunati graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2022 in just three years. He focused on topics regarding Political Science and Criminal Justice. Jordan enjoyed the courses of Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Statistics, and Creative Writing.
During his time at Baylor, he participated in a variety of activities and organizations. He was a Residential Assistant during his sophomore year and at the height of COVID-19. Despite inherent adversity, Jordan found the value of a Christian community and deep intellectual conversation. He hosted programs with guest speakers from professors to present their research to residents. He additionally met with residents one on one to understand them on a personal level. Jordan also participated in two major research projects with Professors on Baylor’s campus. One quantitatively defined how to assess presidential greatness, and the other consisted of uncovering the congressional rhetoric and public opinions' impact on the Supreme Court.
In Jordan’s final Fall semester, he attended the Baylor in Washington D.C. program. This program consisted in participating in an internship, attending a weekly seminar, and constructing a research paper. Jordan interned for the Center for Public Justice, a Christian Political think tank. Jordan wrote articles and policy briefs regarding Criminal Justice reform. His research paper consisted of analyzing Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” impact on the legal arguments of the Civil Rights movement.
Jordan also participated in the Model United Nations. Jordan attended conventions remotely and in person in New York City. He received two position paper awards and a team award for best delegations. Jordan was part of the Political Science Honors Society Pi Sigma Alpha. Jordan also received recognition as the Outstanding Political Science Student upon graduation, a reward only reserved for two Senior students.
As a post grad, Jordan worked as a paralegal and a part-time piano player at a local winery in California. Jordan hopes to work in the policy and legal world regarding criminal justice reform. He loves to spend time with his family, girlfriend, and friends.