Marisol Balderas
Spring 2024 John Jay Fellow
Hometown: Rosenberg, TX
College: Houston Christian University
Degree: B.A. Political Science
A native Texan, Marisol Balderas graduated Summa Cum Laude from Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University) in 2023 with a degree in political science. While there, she was a member of the Honors College, where she studied the works of many of the greatest thinkers of Western Civilization, including Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Boethius, Augustine, and Aquinas.
That course of study reinforced to her the importance of philosophy and religious principles to politics, as she continued to research the political thought of the American Founding and that of her favorite president—Calvin Coolidge. While at HCU, she also discovered an interest in the constitutional ideas of many of the New England founders, as well as classical republicanism. During her time in college, she had the opportunity to intern for the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, which was one of the best experiences of her life. During her time at HCU, Marisol was the senior writing tutor.
Marisol is thrilled to be a John Jay Fellow and looks forward to revisiting a lot of the same books she came to love in college. She also welcomes the opportunity to read new texts in a community of other Christians interested in great ideas. After her time at the John Jay Institute, Marisol plans to pursue a graduate degree in politics at an institution which emphasizes the importance of the principles of the American Founding.