For more than a decade, the John Jay Institute has been on task and on mission in preparing principled public leaders for faith-informed service.
Our strategy has been to bring together young men and women who are like-minded as well as high-minded and who will in all probability at some time or other work in concert and coordination for the public good. In the last decade the John Jay Institute has established itself as the go to place for Christian “reading” men and women with noble aspirations for public service.
To date we have prepared 615 fellows to understand the burdens of civic, political, economic, military, and cultural leadership in light of the richness of the Western Judeo-Christian tradition. Many are already in positions of leadership in national, state, and local governments; in nonprofit organizations; in academia; and in entrepreneurship. We want to highlight two of our alumni who have recently entered the arena of electoral politics: Eric Roe ’14 and David Eastman ’10.
Eric Roe '14
Eric Roe ’14 is currently a candidate for state representative in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He came to the John Jay Institute having previously completed a bachelor’s degree in political science at American University, as well as a master’s degree in public policy from University College London. Eric sought the John Jay Institute as a capstone experience to his education to further prepare him for the rigors of electoral office. At the John Jay Institute he took inspiration from an interdisciplinary curriculum of ethics, theology, philosophy, history, and government designed to integrate faith and public service. It was here where he developed his worldview amid a community of peers who share his desire for service.
David Eastman '10
David Eastman ’10 is currently a candidate for state representative in the Alaska legislature. He came to the John Jay Institute having previously served as a U.S. Army captain in the military police. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, as well as Biola University with a master’s degree in philosophy, David sought the John Jay Institute as a learning community in which to pursue understanding the relationship of his faith to public service. Since his residency at the John Jay Institute he has distinguished himself in local service as a community volunteer, firefighter, EMT, and homeland security expert. While at the John Jay Institute David was intrigued by the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville on the greater social importance of private associations over governmental ones.
