Brooke Hamlin graduated from Patrick Henry College in 2011 with a journalism degree and a determination to impact the world with the Gospel. Since graduating, Hamlin has become a bestselling author, dynamic speaker, pastor's wife, beloved mother, and, most recently, a podcaster.
Firm Foundation
"I am a completely different person because of PHC," Hamlin said. Having attended only public schools before college, she had no concept of what a classical education was or why it was valuable. After starting her education at PHC, she was amazed by the constant pursuit for excellence and how every class always led back to Jesus. Hamlin said, "Nothing can replace what PHC did for me in my interaction with the body of Christ.” As she pursued Journalism, she welcomed the rigor that pushed her writing abilities beyond anything she could have imagined. Most of all, she loved the community of students and was encouraged by friends and professors to keep her eyes on Jesus. To this day, Hamlin keeps in touch with her favorite professors and attends alumni events at PHC. "Whenever my kids ask me what my favorite place is," Hamlin said, "I always tell them, 'Mommy loves PHC!' The people I met at PHC have shaped me forever, and I never want to lose touch with that.”
Holy Spirit Inspiration
In the fall of 2025, Hamlin was asked to speak at a Charlie Kirk memorial event that was organized by a PHC alumnus in Winchester, VA. At the memorial, she was deeply moved by the response of those who were praying and sharing the Gospel. After she gave a speech, people flooded to her, telling her how her words touched them. “It was such a unique experience," Hamlin said. "It was probably the most genuine response I’ve ever had. I knew it must be the work of the Holy Spirit; it was an awakening. Never have I seen people this open, humble, and hungry for the truth.” This experience inspired her to pursue one of her lifelong dreams: starting a podcast.
Ten Boom Legacy
Once she realized that she was called to start a podcast, Hamlin had to think of a theme and name for the project. Both were easy to choose. Drawing inspiration from her book The Good Portion, she wanted to talk about the spiritual life, how to dive into the Bible, and what a relationship with Christ looks like in our daily lives. Most importantly, Hamlin wanted to boldly share the Gospel. She said, “I am willing to speak truth no matter what anyone says. I want to stand up for the truth. I want to love even when others call it hate.” So many Christians back down from speaking the truth because of fear, and Hamlin did not want that to be her example. The title of the podcast, The Victorious Home, came from her role models who always stood up for the truth: the Ten Booms.
Hamlin had read The Hiding Place and knew about Corrie's powerful story for many years. However, she did not discover the rest of the family's story until 2023, when she read The Watchmaker's Daughter, a non-fiction account of Corrie's life that provided background on the Ten Boom family. "This book opened my eyes to a whole body of Corrie’s work and her family," Hamlin said. "The Ten Booms are an example of spiritual life starting from childhood, going into adulthood. I want that sort of faith, and I want to pass that down to my children.”
In the Ten Boom's house, there was a sign inscribed with the motto of the family: "Jesus is Victor." Out of this motto, Hamlin found the name of her podcast. No matter the situation, Jesus already won when he took God's wrath for our sins on the cross and conquered death through his resurrection. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." The Ten Booms lived this out, and Hamlin wants to follow in their example.
Home Sweet Home
Brooke Hamlin is a woman with many ambitious goals. As an author, she wants to write middle-grade fiction for her kids, an allegory about identity and comparison, and more non-fiction books centered around Bible reading. She would like to turn The Victorious Home podcast into a book about the Ten Boom legacy and how it should impact Christians everywhere.
Above all, Hamlin says she always wants to put the ministry in her home first. The most beautiful part of her life is raising her kids as champions for Christ. Just as the Ten Booms recognized, equipping ourselves in the Gospel starts at childhood, in the home.
Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.