16th Gratia Houghton Rinehart National High School Leadership Conference
Congressman Bill Huizenga, a Foundation alumnus, encourages the young audience to stay true to their convictions.
Huizenga, Pavlich, Folsom, Wilbur, and Campos-Duffy Inspire High School Students at Annual Conference By Katie Taran, Conference Director
Rachel Campos-Duffy discusses the need for conservatives to have a voice in pop culture.
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ore than 120 attendees from 20 states and 67 high schools gathered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, for the 16th Gratia Houghton Rinehart National High School Leadership Conference. The young participants—many of whom are members of YAF chapters at their schools—enjoyed three days of meeting like-minded friends and learning from leading conservative authors, activists, professors, and public policy officials. Before the conference officially began, 46 of the students traveled with National Journalism Center Executive Director Kirby Wilbur to Gettysburg where they toured the historic battlefield just days after the Battle of Gettysburg’s sesquicentennial. The opening dinner banquet featured Congressman Bill Huizenga, who was involved with the Foundation when he was a student at Calvin College. As a young activist, the congressman hosted Attorney General Ed Meese on his campus. Congressman Huizenga stressed the importance of remaining true to one’s principles. He told the young audience, “Stand up and do the right thing—whether no one is watching or if everyone is watching.” The next day, students broadened their knowledge of (continued on page 11)
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Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2014
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