Meet MaKayla Donnelly
On Saturday mornings this summer, we will introduce a new Family Foundation or Family Foundation Action intern by releasing a bio written by one of their classmates. Be on the lookout for new blogs and social media posts to catch a glimpse of the great work they are doing!
Today, we are excited to introduce our second intern, MaKayla Donnelly!
Growing up in Southeastern Virginia near Carrollton, MaKayla Donnelly first grew interested in politics from conversations with her grandfather. He would ask nine-year-old MaKayla what she thought of various political newspaper articles without telling her where he stood, and encouraged her to give a well-argued answer. She notes that this experience allowed her to “think critically for herself” and to develop her beliefs on her own. A voracious reader, MaKayla can read a book a day (assuming it’s 600 pages or shorter) and aspires to eventually memorize the U.S. Constitution in its entirety. MaKayla also possesses multiple musical gifts, including singing and songwriting, and she has performed at events during her high school years and open mic night at Liberty University. Worship is a beautiful opportunity for her to praise the Lord and she considers it an integral part of her walk with the Lord. While she always knew of God and participated in prayer growing up, MaKayla felt that she didn’t understand who God truly was until she accepted Christ the summer before her senior year in high school. Her newfound fervor for the Lord along with a suggestion from her grandma prompted her to apply to Liberty University where she now attends.
She currently serves as a community group leader at Liberty where she leads a group of girls in a Bible study each week as well as assists with freshman move in and other leadership duties. MaKayla is also an active member of the Liberty University Strategic Intelligence Society where she has successfully roleplayed as a Foreign Service Officer and participated in other simulation-based projects. As a Government Politics and Policy major with an International Relations minor, MaKayla has specifically enjoyed working on policy papers and in particular, Indo-Pacific policy. MaKayla’s love of policy and her desire to be involved in policy making and research from a Christian perspective led MaKayla to The Family Foundation, and we are so extraordinarily blessed to have her!Her joyful spirit and dedication to excellence in all she does has shone brightly here this summer.
Upon graduation in May of 2024, MaKayla plans on joining Liberty University’s M.A.P.P. program (Master of Arts in Public Policy) where she hopes to broaden her knowledge in international and state policy. While she is currently interested in a career in foreign policy, she wants to follow God’s will for her path and go wherever He leads. When asked about the future MaKayla stated, “No matter where I end up in government, servant leadership is a passion of mine. Showing the love of Christ through how you serve others and developing public policy that is rooted in biblical values helps bring light back to an arena that many people think has been corrupted.” She is excited to be a part of a new generation of Christian leaders that are bringing Biblical values into the sphere of government. One of MaKayla’s favorite verses is James 1:2-4 which says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” While MaKayla knows she will face opposition to her faith in today’s culture, she holds fast to the truth of God’s Word and His will for her life.