Liberty students experience Washington, D.C.
Throughout the year, Liberty University students across different fields of study are learning, building their résumés, and making an impact in the nation’s capital. This past school year, students engaged with diplomats, performed on music tours, visited historic landmarks and attractions, fought for the lives of the unborn, and more on their travels from campus to Washington.
Music and Worship
Marking a significant milestone in their music careers, a group of School of Music students had the honor of performing at the White House Staff Easter Service on April 17. The service was part of the White House’s weeklong Easter celebration for Holy Week, hosted by the newly established White House Faith Office. The group represented many of the university’s premier worship teams, including LU Praise, Vessel, Shine, and E-41. They opened the hourlong church service, held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by the White House, with “Because He Lives,” “In Christ Alone,” and “Living Hope.”
Liberty music students lead worship during the White House Staff Easter Service.
“This is honestly just the biggest blessing in the world,” said senior worship leadership student Graham Guy, who played acoustic guitar. “If somebody would have told me that (we would sing in the White House) when I applied to Liberty, I would probably have told them they were crazy, but what a cool opportunity. … Liberty and the Lord keep opening doors, and it’s just incredible.”
The time of worship preceded Easter-themed messages from prominent Christian leaders, including President of Samaritan’s Purse Franklin Graham, Senior Pastor of Free Chapel Jentezen Franklin, and Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office Paula White. Notable White House staff attendees included White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Assistant to the President Sebastian Gorka, and many other ranking members.
Two weeks later, LU Praise was invited to perform in the Capitol Building Rayburn Room at a special prayer event on April 30, the eve of the National Day of Prayer.
Over Spring Break, the Liberty University Symphony Orchestra toured the capital and surprised patrons at the Museum of the Bible with an impromptu performance in the main atrium. They also performed at McLean Bible Church and area Christian schools. With over 40 percent of the orchestra made up of non-music majors, the tour demonstrated the vast amount of talent that fills Liberty’s campus. Director of LUSO Dr. Zachary Bruno said the Museum of the Bible performance was an opportunity for students to represent Liberty and gain experience in front of a live audience.
During Spring Break, the Liberty University Symphony Orchestra toured Washington, D.C., where they performed at the Museum of the Bible and McLean Bible Church and visited the Kennedy Center.
“It was nice that we got to represent the university to this wonderful crowd of generally Christian folks who may or may not have heard of Liberty University before,” he said. “We were able to give them a little taste of some of the performing arts repertoire that we have here in the School of Music and were able to worship the Lord with strangers.”
In January, the Spirit of the Mountain marching band was invited to perform in the Presidential Inauguration Parade, but the Presidential Inaugural Committee notified Liberty that the indoor venue would not be able to accommodate them due to weather-related changes. LU Praise was also slotted to perform alongside Billy Ray Cyrus during the Make America Great Again Victory Rally, but their performance was cut due to time (they did have the honor of rehearsing alongside Cyrus prior to the rally).
Inspiring Leaders
Students Rylen Bassett (left) and Josie Huyard, president and vice president of Liberty’s Freedom Center Society, speak at the Leadership in Action Symposium in April.
Liberty’s Standing for Freedom Center sponsored a trip to the capital for its Leadership in Action symposium on April 11 at the Museum of the Bible.
About 150 Liberty students gleaned from some of the nation’s leading Christian and conservative voices. Speakers included Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who addressed the dangerous influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); Joseph Kennedy, who was fired from his high school football coaching job in Washington state for praying after each game (the Supreme Court ruled he had the right to pray); Tim Ballard, a former Department of Homeland Security special agent who was the subject of the movie “Sound of Freedom” and founded the anti-sex trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad; Texas Congressman Chip Roy; President of the Family Research Council Tony Perkins; President of Concerned Women for America and Liberty Board of Trustees member Penny Nance; Detroit-based Pastor Lorenzo Sewell; and former NFL player Jack Brewer, who participated in a panel on building biblical men in a culture that touts the alleged dangers of “toxic masculinity.”
Students learned about the Bible’s profound influence on America, including how it shaped laws surrounding religious liberty, the abolition of slavery, ideas about democracy, and more.
“The speakers were very inspiring and really spoke on great topics I didn’t know about,” said senior history and public health student Lauren Sherlin. “Sen. Cotton was very inspirational in his talk. Speaking on some of the struggles of being a believer while in a political position was encouraging. He talked about how we must step up and do what we know is right as Christians. Coach Kennedy’s story was also a great testimony of standing your ground even when you face hate and persecution for what you believe. He was fired, but God ultimately brought justice after a long while.”
March for Life
More than 1,000 Liberty students proclaimed their support for the unborn at the 52nd March for Life on Jan. 24. Twenty buses left campus early that morning and arrived in time for the pre-march rally featuring pro-life influencer Lila Rose, professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, President Donald Trump (via pre-recorded message), and an in-person keynote from Vice President JD Vance, who emphasized that Americans must adopt a holistic approach to supporting the cause of life and to always remember the mothers who often feel like they have no other choice besides abortion.
For decades, Liberty has sponsored trips to the March for Life, the largest pro-life demonstration in the world with an average attendance of 150,000 people each year. In recent years, Liberty’s involvement has been sponsored by the Standing for Freedom Center.
Many students, like junior biomedical sciences student Colton Fitzgerald, attended the march for the first time in January.
“It was an honor to be able to stand up for the babies who have no voice yet and to be able to stand on the right side of history along with truth, science, and, most importantly, God,” Fitzgerald said. “It was refreshing to see so many people in support of the most fundamental human right: life. With so many others marching along with us, it gives me hope that I won’t only be the post-Roe generation, but also the generation that sees abortion abolished for good.
Government and Law
British Embassy
On two trips over the past school year, students from the Helms School of Government engaged with top diplomats at the Japanese, Chinese, French, and British embassies.
French Embassy
In October, students visited the French and British Embassies, where they learned about the critical role the U.S. plays in their national security interests. Leaders from both embassies touched on the most pressing issues facing the world today, including the war in Ukraine, unrest in the Middle East, China’s economic influence, and how each respective country partners with the United States — a vital ally — to combat terrorism. Students gleaned insights from Damien Cristofari, head of the Political Section and senior counselor in charge of European Affairs at the French Embassy. At the British Embassy, students heard from a panel led by Sebastian Singh, first secretary at the embassy’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
Chinese Embassy
During the April trip to the Japanese and Chinese embassies, officials spoke to students about tariff reciprocity, the state of national security, and strengthening international relations with America. At the Japanese Embassy, students posed questions to the Deputy Chief of Mission Takehiro Shimada and learned about the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, the critical economic partnership Japan shares with America, and how U.S. tariffs on Japanese imports may affect each country’s economic prosperity. Students also toured the Chinese Embassy and learned of the country’s rich history and culture before meeting with Minister Qiu Wenxing and other ranking members.
Japanese Embassy
Also in April, students from Liberty University School of Law’s Constitutional Litigation Clinic traveled to D.C. for a private listening party of the Supreme Court case Mahmoud v. Taylor for which they had submitted an amicus brief earlier in the spring semester. The brief argued for greater parental rights in public schools. The students were invited to a luncheon to hear remarks from Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel of Becket Fund, who argued the case before the Supreme Court on April 22.
Public Health
(From left) Ginika Rosemary Muomah, Sydney Webb, and Miebaka Roberts, the three Liberty Master of Public Health students currently serving in Dr. Marty Makary’s fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, attended his confirmation hearing.
Three Liberty University Master of Public Health (MPH) students who are part of a fellowship program with the School of Health Sciences in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine attended the confirmation hearing for FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary on March 6.
Makary, a renowned surgeon and Johns Hopkins professor, had been an integral part of the yearlong fellowship as students joined him and his team to engage in high-impact research on healthcare policy. (Dr. Caitlin Hicks, an associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, has replaced Makary as principal investigator of the fellowship.)
For Miebaka Roberts, the confirmation hearing inspired a potential future career goal.
“As an MPH student, attending the FDA confirmation hearing was one of the most incredible experiences of my academic and professional journey,” he said. “I’m so grateful to have been part of the fellowship that made this possible. Witnessing such an important moment in public health leadership was beyond inspiring, and I couldn’t help but imagine myself in that very seat one day, answering questions from senators and being confirmed as the FDA commissioner, ready to shape public health policy.”
“The opportunities we provide our students to travel to Washington, D.C., and see our federal government in action, visit historic landmarks, experience the culture, and learn from some of the country’s leading voices is like no other. We are Training Champions for Christ in all fields of study, and our graduates will take these valuable experiences into their future careers.”
– Dr. Scott Hicks, Liberty Provost and Chief Academic Officer
DID YOU KNOW?
- Many students fulfill internships in Washington, D.C., through Liberty’s Washington Fellowship program, living in Liberty’s historic downtown housing as they work in the nation’s capital. Over the summer, students interned at the White House, Stand Together/Americans for Prosperity, FOX News, House Committee on Homeland Security, Institute of World Politics, Keel Point, America First Policy Institute, American Legislative Exchange Council, Young America’s Foundation, U.S. Marshals Service, C3 Think Tank, VHC Health, and various congressional offices.
- Multiple Liberty alumni are hard at work in the nation’s capital, including over 100 who are assisting members of Congress or governmental agencies, such as Jessica West (’22), special assistant to the deputy chief of staff at the White House; Lyndsay Keith (’10), chief White House correspondent for Merit Media; Isaac Apon (’16), White House creative director; Brent Robertson (’11), chief of staff for Sen. Roger Marshall-Kansas; Sarah Seitz (’07), legislative director for Sen. James Lankford-Oklahoma; and Ruth Ward (’15), chief of staff for Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson-Louisiana. Many others are involved in research and public policy, such as Ericka Morris (’12), deputy chief of staff to the president, The Heritage Foundation.
