Keely Daniels

Keely Daniels joined RFI’s internship program as a research assistant in the fall of 2020 while pursuing her PhD in Public Policy at Liberty University. Of her RFI experience, Keely notes that one of the things she particularly enjoyed was exploring the connection between religious freedom and economic flourishing. Prior to her time at RFI, “I truly had a more narrow view of what religious freedom meant.”

Keely’s time at RFI came at an interesting inflection point in her life. She had just decided to switch her career focus from her Masters degree in Human Services Counseling to a  PhD in Public Policy. With six children, she knew she would need something flexible and she found it in her RFI experience. By the end of her time at RFI, Keely had significantly expanded her professional network and published some of her research in RFI’s Cornerstone Forum. Working with RFI also opened up the door for an internship with International Christian Concern (ICC) in 2021, and eventually a position with the National Committee for Religious Freedom with Ambassador Sam Brownback.

“Religious Freedom is close to my heart now,” she says,  “because I have six kids. The reason I felt called to go into public policy is to preserve a country for my children where religious freedom is taught and valued.” After RFI, Keeley graduated from Liberty University and currently runs a Christian life coaching business.