James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation Announces 2025 James Madison Fellows
The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, is proud to announce that it has selected 43 James Madison Fellows for its 2025 class in its thirty-third annual fellowship competition. The Foundation awards James Madison Fellowships to outstanding graduate and undergraduate students committed to a career teaching about the development and history of the United States Constitution. The fellowship recognizes promising and distinguished teachers and it aims to strengthen their knowledge of the origins and development of American constitutional government, and thus to expose the nation’s secondary school students to accurate knowledge of the nation’s Constitutional heritage.
The 43 James Madison Fellows were selected by an independent academic committee in a competition with applicants from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the nation’s island and trust territories. Fellows were chosen for their scholarly achievements and their demonstrated interest in pursuing a course of graduate study leading to a master’s degree emphasizing the U.S. Constitution. Fellowships were awarded only in states and territories where resident applicants met the James Madison Fellowship’s criteria.
Named in honor of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States who is acknowledged as “the Father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” a James Madison Fellowship funds up to $24,000 of each Fellow’s course of study towards a master’s degree. A Fellow’s graduate program must include a concentration of courses on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution. Recipients are required to teach American history, government, or civics full-time in a secondary school for at least one year for each year of Fellowship support.
The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and was created by law in 1986. James Madison Fellowships are funded by income generated through a trust fund in the Treasury of the United States and additional private gifts, grants, and endowments. Additional information may be found at www.jamesmadison.gov.
2025 James Madison Fellows
Senior Fellows (Current Teachers)
Listed by state of legal residence, name, and secondary school where they teach
| AL | Adriene Weller | Tanner High School; Athens, AL |
| AK | Stephanie Meek | West High School; Anchorage, AK |
| AR | Lyndsey Randall | Bentonville High School; Bentonville, AR |
| AZ | Casey Enright | Mesa High School; Mesa, AZ |
| CA | Christopher Beggs | Everest Public High School; Redwood City, CA |
| CA | Kevin Jackson1 | Petaluma High School; Petaluma, CA |
| CO | Justin King | Loveland Classical Schools; Loveland, CO |
| CT | Aaron Hull | Greenwich High School; Greenwich, CT |
| FL | Steven Burgos | Mater Lakes Academy; Hialeah, FL |
| FL | Bryan Vincent2 | Viera High School; Viera, FL |
| GA | Arminda Lawrence | Pace Academy; Atlanta, GA |
| ID | Shayna Lopez | Gem Prep: Meridian South Charter School, Meridian, ID |
| IL | Abigail Cozariuc | William Howard Taft High School; Chicago, IL |
| IN | Jan Klingensmith | Arlington Middle School; Indianapolis, IN |
| KS | Brande Vogele | Chaparral Jr/Sr High School; Anthony, KS |
| KY | Rebecca Sealock | Marshall County High School; Benton, KY |
| MA | Bauer Evans | King Philip Regional High School; Wrentham, MA |
| MD | Timothy Rodman | Walter Johnson High School; Bethesda, MD |
| MI | Ryan Werenka | Troy High School; Troy, MI |
| MN | Chatham Hedges | Central Middle School; Eden Prairie, MN |
| MS | Clayton Purvis | Northwest Rankin Middle School; Flowood, MS |
| MO | Amy Bush | Mehlville High School; St. Louis, MO |
| NV | Marin Parker | Longfellow Middle School; Falls Church, VA |
| NH | Brian Nicoll | Timberlane Regional High School; Plaistow, NH |
| NY | Tracy Steeves | Kingston High School; Kingston, NY |
| ND | Ryan Albrecht | Tioga Public School District #15; Tioga, ND |
| OH | Jenessa Jorgensen | Temple Christian School; Mansfield, OH |
| OK | Braxton Henson | Southmoore High School; Moore, OK |
| OR | Kristine Alf Rippee | La Grande High School; La Grande, OR |
| PA | Jason Haley | Cumberland Valley High School; Mechanicsburg, PA |
| SC | Frances Boggs | Bishop England High School; Charleston, SC |
| SD | Amanda Blaha | Yankton Middle School; Yankton, SD |
| SD | Daniel Balkovic3 | Jefferson High School; Sioux Falls, SD |
| TN | Kyle Richins | Lakeland Preparatory School; Arlington, TN |
| TX | Courtney Williamson | Marble Falls Middle School; Marble Falls, TX |
| UT | Rebecca Williams-Wood | American Fork High School; American Fork, UT |
| WI | Daniel Hoppe | Bay Port High School; Green Bay, WI |
| WI | Laura Weber4 | De Pere High School; De Pere, WI |
Junior Fellows (Prospective Teachers)
Listed by state of legal residence, name, and undergraduate school
| NC | Tiffany Marlow | University of Hawai’i at Manoa; Honolulu, HI |
| NE | Beverly Duran | Bellevue University; Omaha, NE |
| NJ | Seowon Back5 | Vassar College; Poughkeepsie, NY |
| VA | Gabriella Barfoot | James Madison University; Harrisonburg, VA |
| WY | Sophia Destefano | University of Wyoming; Laramie, WY |
1 Kevin Jackson’s fellowship, the Henry J. Salvatori-James Madison Fellowship, is endowed by the
Henry J. Salvatori Foundation.
2 Bryan Vincent’s fellowship, the J. Seward Johnson-James Madison Fellowship, is endowed by the
Atlantic Foundation of Hamilton, New Jersey.
3 Daniel Balkovic’s fellowship, the Admiral Paul A. Yost, Jr.– James Madison Fellowship, is funded by
the James Madison Education Fund, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia.
4 Laura Weber’s fellowship, the James Madison Fellows’ Fellowship, is funded in part by contributions
from the James Madison Fellows Alumni.
5 Seowon Back’s fellowship, the Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr.-James Madison Fellowship, is funded by The Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. Foundation.