Evelyn Whitehead grew up traveling the United States as the oldest of six in a proud Navy family. Evelyn’s parents sacrificed to provide their children with a wonderful Catholic education through Seton Home Study School.
Evelyn attended Franciscan University of Steubenville where she majored in Philosophy and participated in the Great Books Honors Program and the Dietrich von Hildebrand Project student fellowship. Some of the highlights of college included a semester-long study abroad spent in Gaming, Austria—one of the most beautiful places in the world. Her academic focus at Franciscan was personalism and phenomenology through the lens of John Paul II’s spirituality.
After a two-year academic hiatus, Evelyn accepted a scholarship to attend Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida. During law school, Evelyn served on the Ave Maria Law Review Executive Board, worked as a research assistant to Dean Emeritus Eugene Milhizer and Professor Stephen Mikochik, received the St. Raymond of Penyafort Commencement Award for Excellence in Writing, and graduated summa cum laude. Most importantly, Evelyn met her husband, Daniel, during the first week.
Before moving to Budapest with her husband, Evelyn clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for Judge Scott Laurer. Prior to that, she was the Associate Director for the Freedom of Thought Project and for Practice Groups at the Federalist Society. Evelyn is a Fellow of the Good Counselor Project with Napa Legal Institute, Americans United for Life, and the Dietrich von Hildebrand Project student fellowship program.
“I’m fascinated by culture because I’m fascinated by people and our innate desire for truth, goodness, and beauty. People can live well when their leaders reckon with those metaphysical realities. I look forward to pondering what it means to live well and what the answers to that question mean for culture and good government during my time in Budapest.” – Evelyn Whitehead
For the duration of the Budapest Fellowship, Evelyn will work with the Axioma Center, mentored by Dr. Norbert Filemon. Her research areas are culture, the human person, and life and family policy. You can read her reflections on her substack, With Love From Hungary, here.
“An epidemic of loneliness, social isolation, distraction, and despair is sweeping the secular West. Hungary has embraced the antidote to this secular malaise by supporting strong families and strong communities so that its people can flourish. The fruits of that effort are very evident in Hungary, and it’s a surreal experience to witness the day-to-day workings of a thriving, family-centered culture.” – Evelyn Whitehead