Rachel Shinn
Fall 2020 John Jay Fellow
Hometown: Cary, NC
College: The King’s College
Degree: B.A. Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
Rachel Shinn graduated magna cum laude from The King’s College in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and a minor in History. An early American and medieval history enthusiast, Rachel enjoys tracing how Christianity shaped political philosophy and preserved good government during those time periods. Her studies culminated in a senior thesis about Elias Boudinot’s theopolitical vision for church and state.
Combining her research interests with her love for teaching, Rachel worked as a faculty assistant for King’s courses on American political thought. Additionally, she served as a research assistant for a project examining Cesare Beccaria’s writings on criminal justice, studying Beccaria’s influence on American founders’ views on criminal justice reform.
Rachel’s experience extends beyond her academic endeavors. Active on King’s campus, she served as a worship leader in a student organization, special events coordinator in student government, and Bible study co-leader. Additionally, she interned as a fitness instructor at her hometown gym during the summer of 2019, and continued interning as a coach through the fall and early spring at her gym in New York.
Rachel is excited to live and study in Christian community at the John Jay Institute. Following her time at John Jay, she intends to pursue her PhD in History. She hopes to write and teach on the American founding's peacemakers: the forgotten founders whose faith informed their response to the Revolution and the development of America's republican government.