Jillian Butler is a journalist based out of San Diego, CA. After two years at Point Loma Nazarene where she was a member of the cheerleading team, she completed her bachelor’s degree in English and History at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. While living abroad, she worked as a surf instructor, where she had the opportunity to teach Syrian refugee children and foster children to surf, as well as take part in a program building bridges in a post-civil war society. 

‍

She received her master’s in international relations at the University of San Diego where she focused her studies on jihadi terror and organized crime. She has experience in research pertaining to Middle Eastern security, terrorism, and the trafficking of humans, drugs, and arms. Her other work has been featured in The Federalist, The Ocean Beach Rag, Lethal Minds Journal, San Diego Union Tribune, the American Mind, The Bulwark, and her own personal Substack. In her free time, Jillian can be found surfing, lifting weights, and reading about history. 

‍