Nearly Two Dozen Alabama College Students Attend National Conservative Student Conference in Washington

Nearly two dozen college students from Alabama traveled to the Washington, D.C., area last week to take part in Young America's Foundation's 48th annual National Conservative Student Conference, along with the organization's Freedom at 250 rally at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. The Alabama delegation included students from the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of South Alabama and Samford University. They joined more than 1,000 young conservatives from colleges across the country for the week-long conference, one of the largest annual gatherings of conservative college students in the nation.

A Week of Speeches and Debate

The conference brought students face to face with a lineup of prominent conservative leaders, commentators and public officials. Speakers included Ben Shapiro, Dr. Ben Carson, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and political commentator Scott Jennings, among others. Sessions throughout the week tackled some of the most contested political and cultural debates facing young Americans, including socialism, illegal immigration, patriotism, free speech and what conservative attendees describe as "wokeness" on college campuses. The programming combined national political speeches with sessions specifically geared toward conservative ideas and student activism. Joshua Smith, a University of South Alabama student who made the trip, said the caliber of the speakers reinforced why he sees conservative organizing on campus as important.

"Hearing speakers like Ben Shapiro, Boris Johnson, Daniel Di Martino, and others focused on speaking the truth unapologetically and being bold with their convictions was a real reminder of why defending the founding principles of America and conservatism is so important," Smith said.

Building a National Network

Beyond the speeches, the conference gave Alabama students a chance to meet hundreds of like-minded peers from campuses across the country. Attendees traded ideas about campus activism, compared notes on the challenges conservative students face at their own schools and formed connections with students involved in conservative organizations nationwide. Caleb Elmore, a University of Alabama student, said the opportunity to compare experiences with students from other states was one of the more encouraging parts of the week.

"It was very encouraging to meet so many students who face similar issues on their campuses and finding new ways to stand for freedom," Elmore said.

A Rally at Mount Vernon

The week began with Young America's Foundation's Freedom at 250 rally at Mount Vernon, the historic home of the nation's first president, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The rally featured speeches, live music and a fireworks display over the estate before the National Conservative Student Conference continued in the D.C. area for the remainder of the week. For the Alabama students who made the trip, the conference offered a chance to hear directly from national conservative figures while expanding a network of students working to advance conservative ideas on college campuses across the country.

About Young America's Foundation

Young America's Foundation traces its roots to Young Americans for Freedom, the conservative student group founded in 1960 at William F. Buckley Jr.'s family estate in Sharon, Connecticut, where it adopted the "Sharon Statement" of principles. Today the foundation runs campus programs and conferences for high school and college students and, since 1998, has owned and preserved Ronald Reagan's California ranch, Rancho del Cielo.