Cole Howerton

Background

About Cole Howerton

Make good choices.” These were the parting words of my late mentor and high school business teacher, Betsy Finley. Her call was simple, but its implications were lifelong: pursue what is right, even when it’s difficult. That principle has become my North Star—one that has guided me from the classroom to Capitol Hill, and from the Pentagon to my current work at the Bill of Rights Institute. I believe deeply that our democratic society depends not only on shared ideals, but on our willingness to engage one another with civility, respect, and accountability. My career has been built on creating spaces—through education, policy, and partnerships—where those values can take root and flourish. At BRI, I help empower millions of students to understand the foundations of liberty, civic virtue, and constitutional self-government. In a time of polarization, I’m committed to helping the next generation inherit more than rhetoric—they deserve the tools and habits that make a civil society possible. The future is shaped by those willing to make good choices today. I aim to be one of them.