Carrying the Torch

Meet five Torchbearers your partnership equipped — proclaiming truth and defending freedom across America.

From Supreme Court victories to White House influence, from educating millions to shaping national policy — five Regent graduates are carrying the torch of faith and freedom forward.

Kristen Waggoner (LAW ’97)

Kristen is fulfilling the promise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as CEO, president, and chief counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). She has argued before the Supreme Court in protecting Americans’ free exercise of their faith, winning three of the most high-profile and significant religious-liberty and free-speech cases in U.S. history.

“It is a profound joy to lead Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s largest legal organization advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth,” Kristen says. “With over 450 team members in 11 offices, we work to keep the door open for the Gospel so that all might be free.”

This is the impact your partnership creates — Christ-centered leaders defending freedom at the highest levels.

Right now, ADF lawyers are “contending for truth” on six continents — including four cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and others before the high courts of Nigeria, Finland, Turkey, and Algeria.

“We defend every person’s God-given right to live, to speak freely, to practice their faith, and to raise their children without fear of government punishment.” But Kristen also issues this warning:

“The First Amendment is America’s bulwark against every regime that ever tried to own the human soul. Undermine it, and we do not just violate the Constitution — we deny humanity its most sacred rights and jeopardize Western civilization.”

Kristen’s journey began with a calling — and with generosity. “When I was about 13 years old, I first heard God’s call to become a lawyer to defend religious freedom and to help shape the next generation of Christian leaders.”

She adds, “The financial scholarship from Regent made that possible. I am grateful for those who sacrificed and invested not just in me but in the future of Kingdom work.”

To those who give, her gratitude is deeply personal: “Your generosity — no matter how large or small — is an act of partnership in the Gospel. … Regent impacts generations.”

Kristen reminds every friend of the university, “In giving to Regent, you are ‘casting your bread upon the water’ (Ecclesiastes 11:1), trusting God to glorify Himself through what you have given to shape Christian leaders to change the world.”

Andrew Knox (SCA ’01 & DIV ’12)

Andrew serves as Vice President of The 700 Club, bringing the hope of Christ to an estimated 360 million people annually across 138 countries. The program has been the Christian Broadcasting Network’s (CBN) flagship since 1966.

Two master’s degrees from Regent — in Communications and Practical Theology — uniquely prepared Andrew for this global platform. “I seek to shepherd our team of producers, editors, and videographers as they weave their love for Christ with broadcast and storytelling expertise,” he explains.

Your investment in one student multiplies to reach the world with the Gospel.

Through CBN’s 15 media-production centers around the world, The 700 Club is broadcast in 39 languages. Week after week, the program introduces viewers to Jesus — from Central America to Asia, North America to Africa.

“Hearing from people who’ve experienced miraculous healings, deliverance from addiction, and chosen to follow Christ, is the honor of a lifetime.”

CBN is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) in this generation. “Our team is passionate about sharing what God is doing in the world,” Andrew says. As host of two live television programs, he’s humbled by the opportunities the Lord has placed before him.

“Professors at Regent mentored me in the art of storytelling, while at CBN, Pat Robertson effortlessly provided me a master class in broadcasting.” He adds that Regent University’s late founder “was a visionary who sought the counsel of God, and his obedience changed the world.”

Andrew understands what’s at stake. “A key Scripture for me, as I host The 700 Club is: ‘Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt’ (Col 4:6),” he shares. “We know the world is hungry for hope and truth.”

Your partnership equips Regent graduates uniquely qualified to be salt and light. Andrew’s two degrees positioned him to reach millions with Christ’s message — an investment in one student multiplying across continents.

Virginia Allen (CAS ’16)

For six years, Virginia served as senior news producer and podcast host at The Daily Signal, covering stories the mainstream media often ignored — from the border crisis to religious liberty battles. Her reporting brought truth to nearly one million subscribers and gave voice to those fighting for their rights.

Virginia’s parents met at Regent in the 1980s. But she never expected to attend — until God intervened.

“I felt a clear call that I could not ignore,” she recalls. Scholarship support made it possible for her to study government at Regent, where “the intentionality of the spiritual life on campus” confirmed she was exactly where God wanted her.

That Christ-centered education shaped every story she told. One stands out: Coach Joe Kennedy, who lost his coaching job for praying on the field after games.

Virginia traveled to Bremerton, Washington to interview Coach Kennedy for a short-form documentary before his case reached the Supreme Court. When the Court ruled in his favor in 2022, she returned to witness his first game back — the moment he could finally pray again without fear.

“I credit my degree in Government with giving me a foundational understanding of how D.C. should work and how it actually works,” she shares — insight that guided her reporting on everything from religious freedom to national policy.

Much of her time focused on the U.S. southern border crisis. She made seven trips to the border, interviewing Border Patrol Chief Walter Slosar in El Paso about how Washington policy changes were affecting enforcement.

Story after story, Virginia reported truth with integrity — covering American families devastated by fentanyl, persecuted Christians abroad, and constitutional battles.

She’s grateful to donors: “I did receive some scholarship money. It was a huge blessing.” She understands what’s at stake: “You may never know your influence firsthand… The establishment of a scholarship fund can be the difference between a young person receiving a Christ-centered education or not.”

In March 2026, Virginia took her commitment to truth into federal government service —another arena where torchbearers are desperately needed. One Regent education, multiple spheres of impact. That’s what your partnership creates.

Travis Weber (LAW ’10)

Travis stands on the front lines defending America’s founding principles because generous partners invested in students like him. As Family Research Council’s (FRC) Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, his work reaches into courtrooms, legislative chambers, and global human-rights conversations.

At FRC, Travis crafts legal analysis, develops policy positions, engaging government leaders on critical moral and constitutional issues. “Public policy deals with passing of legislation and policy,” he explains. “My Regent education is so integral to what I’m doing now.”

Travis’ calling to law — and ultimately to policy work — began after graduating from the United States Naval Academy and serving America as a naval aviator. When he left active duty, he found himself searching for direction.

Ultimately, God led him to Regent Law. There, he found not just legal training but a biblically grounded education that would transform his entire approach to policy and law.

That grounding now equips Travis to face the cultural and legal challenges confronting faith and freedom in America. “We have to remember where we come from,” he insists, “and defend the biblical foundations of law in our country for the road ahead.”

Thanks to the faithful giving of partners who believe in Regent’s mission, Travis stands as a true torchbearer — advancing America’s founding ideals and helping secure them for generations to come.

Because policy battles increasingly determine the nation’s future, Travis emphasizes, “More than ever, we have to be prepared to defend biblical truth. And more than ever, the times in which we live need Regent Law.”

Grateful for the donors who helped make his journey possible, he adds: “It was a tremendous blessing. You helped me at that point in my life and enabled me to pursue a degree at Regent.”

The legal foundation laid at Regent Law strengthened Travis’ efforts today. But it’s the generosity of friends like you that equipped him to boldly advance faith and freedom.

Dr. Keri D. Ingraham (SOE ’12 & ’16)

As director of the Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education and a senior fellow at the Institute, Keri D. Ingraham is reshaping education for millions of American families. She’s one of the nation’s most trusted voices for parental rights — and she’s winning.

Because of partners like you, a Regent graduate now has the ear of the White House—influencing education policy for an entire generation.

Over the past year alone, Keri has made nine trips to the White House — extraordinary recognition of her growing influence and impact. Her first invitation was to witness President Donald Trump sign an executive order on education.

Her ongoing work has created opportunities to participate in White House roundtables, meet with Cabinet members and governors, and attend an AI education task force meeting hosted by First Lady Melania Trump.

Keri’s mission is laser-focused: “Every day I work to advance education freedom in our country, which is empowering moms and dads as the decision-makers of their child’s education.”

For her, true freedom means parents choosing what’s best for their child — whether homeschooling, private school, hybrid, online, or a new innovative education model.

The urgency is real. “Public education is failing in its core mission to educate children,” she warns. “Only three out of 10 public school children are learning to read or do math on grade level.”

Worse still, students are indoctrinated with “radical ideologies” that replace academics with activism, often “working in secret from moms and dads.” But Keri is helping states reform systemic failures in several states by empowering concerned parents and dedicated teachers who want better for their children and students.

“We’re making incredible historic strides,” she insists. “Just five years ago, no states had universal school choice or anything close to it. Today, 17 states have enacted universal school choice, and this year alone, 27 states have opted into the new Education Freedom Tax Credit.”

Her path to this national leadership role began at Regent University: “The education I received prepared me exceedingly well to live out a biblical worldview and be equipped for the opportunities God has entrusted to me.”

Keri is grateful to generous donors who made it possible for her to receive scholarships. “It was an absolute game changer,” she says. “Your generous investment in Regent sets the trajectory of students’ lives.”

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These five leaders are carrying the torch of faith and freedom forward — because partners like you made their education possible.

Thank you for equipping these torchbearers and for continuing to prepare the next generation of Christian servant-leaders to change the world. Every gift you share today lights the way for leaders rising tomorrow.