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Encore highlights the stories of TeenPact Alumni through the years. This month features Isaac Woodward.
“TeenPact was pivotal for me,” said Isaac Woodward, Leadership Network Associate Director, at The Philos Project. “It’s hard to convey all the ways that TeenPact has impacted me because it shaped me from such a young age. My TeenPact experience made me aware of the importance of public service and contending for Christian principles in government. TeenPact helped set the trajectory of my life in government, policy, and nonprofit engagement. The lessons and principles I learned at TeenPact have been very useful during the last six years of my life, while working in Washington, D.C.”
Isaac is a TeenPact alumnus from 2004 to 2010. Recently, he recalled simple ways that his TeenPact experiences impacted him. “It’s amazing how little things stick with you. I recall the speaking tips Tim Echols gave us at my very first TeenPact One Day Class. Tim demonstrated how you should avoid pacing or fidgeting but also not stand entirely still while giving a presentation. He taught us the triangle technique to allow movement without distracting the audience. He also explained how adults are used to children or teens being unengaged when hearing from speakers. Tim challenged us to look the speaker in the eye and think of a question for every lawmaker or other speaker that came to us that day. That stuck with me and I’ve found it to not only be a great way to win over a speaker, it also keeps me engaged and proactive during a talk. I went on to learn so much more at the teenage classes and events, but I think it is a testament to TeenPact’s influence that 10 year-old-me retained and applied these lessons till today.
Isaac now works in Middle East relations for The Philos Project. The Philos Project works to promote positive Christian engagement in the Near East through training up young professionals in the history, theology, and politics affecting the region. The Philos Project, other nonprofits, and government agencies are often looking to hire bright young people like those that TeenPact produces.
Many of his coworkers and friends in Washington, D.C., got their start in TeenPact. “I know through personal experience that applicants I find through TeenPact are of a high caliber,” Isaac said. “I’d also love to get young people their start in a career dedicated to honoring Christ through work in public service.” To learn more, visit The Philos Project or contact Isaac Woodward at isaac@philosproject.org.
Isaac attended the Georgia One Day Class in the early 2000s, several Four Day Classes, and many other TeenPact programs until 2010, when he turned 19. He attended Rutgers University, studying Analytic Philosophy, political science, and classics. Isaac and his wife, Katie, reside in Washington, D.C., and had their first child this summer.