About Jake Van Clief
Wekiva, Fla.
President’s Award for Leadership
Political Science major | Philosophy & Religion minor
“My Flagler experience was transformative, inspiring, and peaceful.”
Student Government Association, Dive Club, Enactus, Model United Nations, Brown Innovation Center Student Worker, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Former U.S. Dept. Of Defense Avionics Technician
Jake's History-Making Moments
Describe your central passion(s) and how you hope to carry that into your post-grad plans:
One of my biggest passions is research and writing within politics, specifically through the lens of technology like AI or Blockchain. I am looking to pursue my Ph.D. and complete a dissertation within this field of study, publish more papers and become a thought leader in the way our government and people move through this digital age.
What (or who) helped inspire your passion in this area (or areas)?
The list is entirely too long to say who inspired me, nearly every mentor and professor in my life has inspired me. But specifically, here at Flagler Professor Bracewell and Professor Thweatt have pushed my philosophical views and outlooks on the world to the extreme and have given me an amazing foundation in which to build my own house of philosophy.
Briefly tell us the story of one stand-out memory from your time at Flagler that will always make you smile:
It was my second Harry Potter Week at the school, I decided to go all out, and duck taped a broom to my electric long board and spent the day riding around campus on it and my friends and I would use your wands to call it to us using the electric remote.
What academic resources, experiences, or mentors proved most valuable throughout your Flagler experience?
Again, Professor Bracewell and Professor Thweatt were monumental to me graduating in the first place. Professor Brookman opened my eyes to the ancient world in a way no one ever has before. Professor Cremona and Professor Kaufman brought a level of debate and comparison I rarely had the opportunity to explore. Professor Upchurch gave me a direction of leadership and responsibility that even the Marine Corps couldn’t teach me. The faculty has always been a source of inspiration for me here.
What is one piece of advice or lesson you learned about the college experience that you wish you could tell your freshman year self?
The degree is rarely the most important part of going to college, it is the people you meet, the experiences you have and the debates you share that truly craft the knowledge you need to take with you into the grand world we find ourselves in.
Tell us about what you’re up to next! Any cool experiences, professional positions, or unique opportunities you have lined up after graduation?
Two days after graduation I am flying back to Japan as a gift to myself to wander around and enjoy the countryside. After that I will be continuing to build my company up, solving the problems of AI in education, I plan to be working with think tanks and research institutions around the world to explore the modern and future issues and solutions that technology is bringing specifically around Artificial Intelligence.
Featured Work & Experiences
Check out Jake’s personal writing portfolio and blog: www.vcwriting.com
Jake’s 50-page article on Post-Digital Governance has been accepted for publishing by Saints Academic Review
Guest writer for the Flagler College Gargoyle
- “AI in academia: redefining the future of education”
- “Why educators must understand AI (even if they don’t use it)”