ARETE
17 September 2025
Here’s what happened this past Summer and what’s to come!
The Arete Group is composed of a team that is centered upon excellence, so it is no surprise that their summer of 2025 reflected just that
Each member spent their summer pursuing greatness, whether that be through remarkable internships in D C , serving through camp ministries, or working hard at summer jobs- this team evidently made the most out of their summers!
While each student had unique experiences, each one found ways to glorify the Lord through them, regardless of where they were The Arete Group fully intends to carry this mindset through the new academic year The goal is to achieve excellence while simultaneously exalting the Lord through it This team has a lot in the works for this year, and the summer clearly served as a time of productive rest and preparation for it.
I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of our newsletter!
Blessings,
Gabriella Miles

In this newsletter you can expect:
Summer Summaries
Goodlatte Project Updates What’s Next for Arete and Concluding Bible Verse

Working Hard and Glorifying the Lord
We are very proud of what the Arete Team accomplished this summer, and are eager to see how they apply the skills they learned to this academic year We had several members of the team interning in D C and working hard across the country Most importantly, no matter where they were, each member devoted their time to glorifying the Lord I hope everyone can be inspired reading about each of their individual experiences!

“This summer, I had the opportunity to work in Congressman Ben Cline’s (VA-06) Roanoke office as a district intern It was a blessing to work for Congressman Cline and his district representatives; I am grateful for their exemplary professionalism and invaluable guidance Throughout the internship, I developed various skills and had memorable experiences by answering constituent phone calls, traveling with the Congressman for district projects, completing administrative activities, and writing letters to constituents I thank God for giving me this opportunity, and I am excited to find out how He will use the skills I developed for His glory ”

“This summer, I had the honor of interning for the honorable Congresswoman Kiggans, representing Virginia's second congressional district, in her DC office My responsibilities included, but were not limited to, answering phone calls, logging constituent concerns, writing co-sponsor memos, giving Capitol tours, and assisting the staff with tasks around the office All of the staff that I worked under, as well as the Congresswoman herself, made it a point to ensure that the interns not just worked in the office, but to learn from our time there I deeply enjoyed my time interning in DC, and I hope to one day return to work on Capitol Hill post-grad ”

“This summer, I had the privilege to intern at Americans for Prosperity on their state government affairs team I focused on creating reports from statistics gathered during the 2025 state sessions, focusing on matters of education, immigration, healthcare, and the economy This semester, I am excited to apply the hands-on skills I gained from this summer as I assist Professor Van Allen in his state and local government course In addition, I will be starting a new position working for the honors Washington Fellowship program and continuing my service as the club secretary for Young Women for America."

“This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern in the White House Liaison’s Office, representing the Department of Labor During my time there, I gained hands-on experience writing White House memorandums, reviewing case briefs, assisting with the execution of executive orders, and learning the inner workings of government at the highest level A few fun facts about me: I am currently a junior studying pre-law, with the long-term goal of working in personal representation for politicians ”

“This summer, I had the privilege of interning for Senator Mullin in Washington, D C I immersed myself in the communications aspect of the office, learning how to write press releases, attending media events, and developing social media strategies and content After my internship in the Senate ended, I also had the distinct honor of shadowing a White House correspondent, where I learned how to write packages, cover the White House, and perform live hits It was an unforgettable summer with formative experiences!”

“This summer I hosted at a local restaurant and worked as a barista while home in Minnesota Additionally, I did some volunteer work at Camp Joy, which is a small camp in western Minnesota. “

"Over the summer, I returned to Reno, Nevada I began working as a Client Representative for Valora Marketing. I was then recognized on a national level for excellence in sales and promoted to Corporate Trainer I also engaged with grassroots organizations that promoted local community building in Reno "

“My name is Charlotte Russell, and I am a sophomore studying politics and policy This summer, I interned with the NC Values Coalition I witnessed the exciting work, lobbying, senate passage, and veto override of HB 805 in the North Carolina legislature, and I also wrote an op ed on protecting women’s spaces in North Carolina This year, I will be serving East Campus as a Resident Shepherd, working in Student Government as an assistant in the clubs department, and working as a GOVT 200 TA on the Arete team ”

“This summer I had the most amazing opportunity to intern for the Pennsylvania State Senator Scott Martin Senator Scott Martin is the Pennsylvania Appropriations Chair and due to this summer being budget season, I was surrounded by a bustling capitol learning about the budget process, attending meetings with lobbyists, and taking notes for staff during session and committee meetings Apart from dealing with the budget, I had the opportunity to write SR No 136 designating the week of August 17 through 23, 2025, as "Social Media Safety and Parental Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania ” Along with the resolution, I organized outreach to 579 individuals in Senator Martin’s District and wrote the press release This experience was especially impactful, as it allowed me to play a direct role in advancing the efforts of a constituent whose son was tragically a victim of sextortion ”

“I had the privilege of serving as an intern with the District Office of Congressman Lloyd Smucker this summer I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to positively impact Pennsylvania’s 11 Congressional District From engaging with constituents and supporting the office through various projects to attending events across Lancaster County, this experience was one full of meaningful growth The Congressman’s team provided me with mentorship, guidance, and invaluable insights I will carry with me into the future ” th

“This semester I have the privilege of serving as a Resident Assistant on South Tower where I am able to engage with students on my hall while caring for and overseeing holistic well-being through outsourcing I am also blessed with the opportunity to serve as a Teaching Assistant in the Helms School of Government for GOVT405: Political and Economic Development Throughout the course of the semester, I will remain involved with Strategic Intelligence Foreign Affairs Initiative (SIFA), as well SIFA involves collaborating with team members to compile and present briefings about current worldwide national security threats to professors experienced in the intelligence community ”
ARETE NEWS
Ryleigh

Helms School of Government 200 TA/Arete Legislative Director

Grace Pattara, Arete Deputy Chief of Staff/Spiritual Director
“This summer, I served as a counselor at Camp Willow Springs, a camp for 3-6 graders in Littleton, North Carolina I had the privilege of caring for 9 girls each week, and I loved integrating the Gospel into everything we did during the day I had the chance to work on the camp’s giant swing, which was very special, as I had the opportunity pray with nervous kids, encouraging them to lean into the Lord to conquer their fears This summer was one of growth and of seeing the goodness of the Lord in every beautiful moment!”

Lorielle Tweedy, Assistant Press Secretary
“This summer, I had the privilege of traveling to Alaska with my family, one of my favorite destinations. Here I was able to spend meaningful time with family and pursue my hobby of photography Alaska’s beautiful landscape provides an ideal setting for me to practice my skills and capture unique images My favorite picture was one I captured of a Killer Whale breaching totally out of the water During the summer, I also began my responsibilities as Social Media Director for our campus chapter of Young Americans for Freedom I began drafting content strategy and creating content to strengthen our club’s online presence This summer was one of creativity, growth, and reflecting on God’s goodness!”
th
“This summer, I had the privilege to complete a legislative internship with the Illinois House of Representatives, serving in the office of District 37 Representative Patrick Sheehan! In this role, I canvassed neighborhoods throughout the district to build name recognition for the representative and strengthen ties with constituents I also supported a variety of community outreach and enrichment programs, gaining valuable experience in local engagement In addition to fieldwork, I contributed on the technical side by developing an application and SOP through Excel to automatically sort area demographic and walkbook data for the district It was an honor to serve the people of District 37!”

of Staff
“This Summer, I had the privilege of interning at the Office of the Texas Attorney General in Austin I worked directly under and shadowed AG Ken Paxton’s chief of staff, Mrs Lesley French During my time in the Texas capital, I observed the last two weeks of the State Legislature in action and working in the Government Relation offices for the remaining three weeks One of my projects was to sort through all the bills from the 2025 session One of my favorite memories was when I read a bill, heard the office chatter about it, read about it in the news, then typed it into my project that Governor Abbott vetoed it The reason I share this memory is because it captures the conflict of the legislature - and I witnessed the legislative process live This internship reminded me that for all of us Government majors the ultimate reason policy matters is because people matter, as Dr Ferdon would say ”
ARETE NEWS

Faith,
Family, and Freedom
This summer, we had three members from our team interning at the Family Research Council (FRC) in Washington D.C. This organization is an advocacy organization that seeks to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and American culture Caily Shriver, Maddison Todd, and Adam Diehl had both a meaningful and productive time working there this past summer Here is a little more about each of their experiences!

“Over the summer, I spent ten weeks working at Family Research Council as an intern writer for The Washington Stand I also continued my duties as the Director of Communications for the Liberty University Helms School of Government Journal of Statesmanship and Public Policy (JSPP) While going into my senior year as a Writing student here at Liberty, I will be resuming my responsibilities as the Chief of Staff for the Goodlatte Project, the Young Americans for Freedom tabling director, and the Communications Director for the JSPP I have been so blessed with all these opportunities, and I can’t wait to see what this academic year brings!”

“Over the summer I had the opportunity to intern within the Policy and Government Affairs division at Family Research Council There I built relationships, grew in my faith, and had the opportunity to work alongside so many amazing young Christians This semester I am expectant to see how God will work in and through me as GSA for Professor Van Allen in support of the Arete Group ”

“This summer, I had the privilege of interning at Family Research Council in Washington, D C There, I was blessed to serve within the development department, assisting with funding and donor relations I am incredibly thankful for this enriching experience, where I was surrounded by like-minded believers dedicated to advancing Biblical truth in our nation’s capital. It was an honor to learn from bold, faithful disciples of Christ who seek to advance faith, family, and freedom in the culture As I enter my sophomore year at Liberty University, I am thankful for how this experience further motivated and encouraged my desire to serve the Kingdom of God and pursue His will ”
The Goodlatte Project
“Working with the Goodlatte Project has been a great opportunity to learn the different ways Congress works and how many areas of our life are affected by the decisions they make.
Congressman Goodlatte was heavily involved during his twenty-six years serving

Virginia’s sixth congressional district. He represented them in various ways, including in his position as the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Being able to review and archive this information has allowed me to increase my scholarship and build various writing, communication, and researching skills, as well as the jurisdiction of Congress and its members.”
-Caily Shriver

There are wonderful things in store for the Arete Group this year. Much progress has already been made among the senior staff, TAs, and Goodlatte Team. While we continue to work diligently, it is important that rest remains a priority.
I recently had a conversation with Deputy Chief of Staff and Spiritual Director Grace Pattara, who shared Psalm 127:2 with me. “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil: for He gives His beloved sleep.”
This verse should serve as a reminder that it is okay to take a step back and rest. In fact, God wants us to do so. It can be hard to actually put this into practice, but it is imperative to set aside time in your day to rest and spend time with the Lord.
I hope that this verse is encouraging for all of you, and is something that you will be able to reflect on. I am praying for you all- I can’t wait to see what this team does next!
Blessings,
Gabriella Miles


Hi! My name is Gabriella Miles, and I have the privilege to serve as the Press Secretary for the Arete Group, as well as the author of this newsletter! Over the past summer, I worked as an editor for the Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship and Public Policy, specifically for the International Relations Section. I also serve as the Secretary for the Liberty University Young American’s for Freedom chapter, and over the summer I was able to attend a conference in D C with the parent organization I am very passionate about this team and their mission, and am honored to be able to help document the journey