Jenna Thomas

Jenna is a University Scholars alumna from New Orleans, Louisiana, who concentrated in Environmental Science with a secondary major in Philosophy and graduated last spring. During her first year at Baylor, she lived in Memorial Hall and has since set her plans to attend law school. On campus, Jenna was involved with the William Carey Crane Scholars, Baylor Ambassadors, and the Pre-Law Society, and served as the College Council Mentor of the HRC.

Her favorite reading list book was St. Thomas Aquinas’s Treatise on Law. For her thesis, she focused on Franciscan poverty as a theological reorientation toward radical solidarity, communal life, and kinship with creation, working alongside faculty mentors Dr. Matthew Whelan (now at Duke University), Dr. Erica Bruce, and Dr. Scott Moore.

Jenna served as an intern for Louisiana's First Congressional District, where she primarily handled casework for constituents needing assistance with Social Security, IRS, and VA issues.

Reflecting on her undergraduate journey, Jenna shares this advice with new students: “Academics are deeply important, and the University Scholars program will give you every resource you need to thrive in that area. But don’t lose sight of what matters most: friendship. Aristotle tells us that even if someone has every other good thing in life, they would not choose to live without friends. Balance your studies with the relationships that will sustain and enrich your college experience!”