The Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government (CCCG) congratulates 14 Menard Tocqueville Family Scholars on their graduation from the University of Notre Dame. The Menard Family Tocqueville Scholarship Program is a competitive undergraduate scholarship designed to provide students with opportunities to discuss fundamental issues of politics, culture, business, markets, philosophy, and religion. Fellows participate in colloquiums, attend conferences organized by the CCCG and often have the opportunity to meet privately with guest speakers and prominent figures in politics and public life.
The CCCG thanks these 14 graduates who have actively contributed to the life of the center through the Tocqueville Scholarship.
Saint John he has been a Tocqueville Fellow since the fall of his sophomore year. He graduated in the Liberal Studies Program with minors in Constitutional Studies and Business Economics. Babbo will work for a private equity firm after graduation. He particularly enjoyed the colloquiums organized by the fellowship and the opportunities to speak with prominent figures in public life, such as Senator Tim Scott.
Emma Barrett degree in the Liberal Studies Program and minors in Constitutional Studies and Business Economics. He was a fellow for five semesters, and his favorite events were the lecture and breakfast with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“Seeking dialogue about difficult and controversial issues with people I respect with differing opinions was a focus of the Tocqueville program and something that shaped my time at Notre Dame,” Barrett said.
Edward Brunicardi graduated with a major in Political Science and minors in Poverty Studies and the Hesburgh Program in Public Service. After graduation, he will be a union organizer with the food service union Unite Here Local 100. His favorite Tocqueville colloquium focused on the theological and human elements of economics, and his favorite speaker was to be Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney in the fall of this academic year. .
“I learned how the ‘order of things’ can help us understand the kinds of arguments we can make about moral decisions and to what extent those ideas should influence government actions,” Brunicardi said .
Corrine Carlson degree in the Liberal Studies Program and minors in Constitutional Studies, Theology and Medieval Studies. She has been a Tocqueville Scholar since the spring semester of her junior year.
“I witnessed the importance of humility and thoughtfulness in conversations about difficult topics, two values that I certainly hope to model in my life after graduation,” Carlson said.
After graduation, she will participate in The Public Interest Fellowship in Washington, DC, where she has been placed with Parents Defending Education to work on education policy.
Luke Koenigsknecht degree in computer engineering. After graduation, he will work for a patent law firm in Chicago and is particularly interested in the intersection of technology and government.
Patrick Lee Graduate with specialization in the Liberal Studies Program and minors in Theology, Constitutional Studies and Business Economics. He served as Notre Dame’s student body president during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Christian McKernan degree in finance and a minor in European studies. He will work as an investment banking analyst at Greenhill & Co. Originally from Yardley, Pennsylvania, his favorite event as a fellow was the keynote address given by Rep. Liz Cheney in the fall of 2022.
Blake Perry Degree in finance and Constitutional Studies. He will return to Notre Dame in the fall to attend law school as a Murphy Fellow with the Church, State, and Society Program. Perry loved visiting with Justice Clarence Thomas, and credits her conversations with Thomas as the inspiration for her pursuit of a law degree.
“The integration of public and private life is a fundamental duty of the citizen, and I am grateful to have met people who exemplify this through Tocqueville,” Perry said.
Thomas Richter graduate with specialty in philosophy. A Tocqueville Scholar since the fall of his sophomore year, Richter said the fellowship taught him the importance of civics education to a healthy democracy. After graduation, she will move to Dallas, TX to work as a legal analyst for Goldman Sachs before applying to law school.
Luke Schafer Degree in economics and global affairs and in Constitutional Studies. Originally from Williamston, Michigan, Shafer will attend Harvard Law School in the fall. His favorite Tocqueville events were Senator Tim Scott’s lecture and the statesman’s dinner.
“I have always had a love for America and a desire to defend it. Tocqueville, and the CCCG in general, gave me the intellectual and spiritual training to defend it by being a better citizen of both the city of man and the city of God. ,” He said.
Chris Stokes Degree in Political Sciences and a mention in Constitutional Studies. Her favorite events were the breakfast with Judge Kyle Duncan this spring and the Alexandra DeSanctis ’18 lecture in the fall. After graduation, she will work as a paralegal for the New Civil Liberties Alliance.
Grace Thilken graduated with a major in the Liberal Studies Program and a minor in Constitutional Studies. A Tocqueville Fellow for three semesters, Grace loved meeting Justice Clarence Thomas and learning from him through his lecture and private breakfast with Tocqueville Fellows. After graduation, Grace will get married and in the fall will teach English and religion at a Catholic school.
Charles Yockey graduated with a major in the Liberal Studies Program and a minor in Constitutional Studies. In October, Yockey will enroll at the University of Cambridge to read for an M.Phil in political thought and intellectual history.
“I have tremendous respect for the entire Tocqueville cohort and have enjoyed meeting such an ideologically diverse group of people. It has made me a much better scholar and significantly grounded my education,” Yockey said.
Blake Ziegler Degree in Political Science and Philosophy. After graduation, she plans to return home to New Orleans to teach high school social studies at the Delores Taylor Arthur School.
Originally Posted by at constudies.nd.edu activated May 22, 2023.
