Emma Claire Jones
Fall 2025 John Jay Fellow
Hometown: Kansas City, KS
College: Taylor University
Degree: B.A. in Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics, Minor in Biblical Literature
Emma Claire grew up in Kansas City with her three sisters, where she attended a classical Christian school from kindergarten through senior year. This taught her the importance of learning from the historic Western tradition, the need for constructive discussions, and the love of the liberal arts. Out of her love for the liberal arts, Emma Claire chose to continue her education by studying political science, philosophy, and economics (PPE) at Taylor University. Her initial interest in this degree was sparked by her love of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Although economics was her first area of interest, she quickly came to love the political and philosophical aspects of her major. Her particular delight is when all three fields of study converge into one connected issue, solution, or topic. Emma Claire was able to feed this passion through attending the Witherspoon Institute’s First Principles
Seminar and interning at Kansans for Life. These experiences taught her the value of a philosophic foundation for local and national political action and emboldened her heart
for protecting the vulnerable. During her time at Taylor, Emma Claire was privileged to study and serve abroad during her January terms. She learned history in Greece, studied literature in London, analyzed the political and spiritual effects of Apartheid in South Africa, and served on a mission trip in Kenya. These intercultural experiences were a hallmark of her college years. The beauty and brokenness of the world were brought before her countless times in her travels, showing her the real life impact of the philosophies and policies that she studied in the classroom.
While on Taylor’s campus, Emma Claire embraced the vibrant, intentional community by investing in her dorm culture and mentoring underclassmen. Additionally, she enjoyed being a tutor and teaching assistant for introductory economics courses. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her degree in PPE and a minor in Biblical Literature.
Through her time as a John Jay Fellow, Emma Claire looks forward to further integrating political action with her philosophic foundation. Looking to the future, Emma Claire will be getting married in January and moving to rural Missouri, where her fiancé is in graduate school. Emma Claire hopes to continue her involvement in the pro-life cause by coordinating volunteers or through communications.