“A Pilgrimage All Young Conservatives Should Take” Reflections on my Visit to Rancho del Cielo B y Pat r i c k c a s t e n , y o u n g a m e r i c a’ s F o u n d at i o n a l u m n u s
Foundation student leader Pat Casten (third from left) enjoys a mountain-top view near Rancho del Cielo during the Foundation’s Club 100 retreat—an annual program recognizing the nation’s top campus activists for their work advancing conservative ideas at their schools.
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s the airplane broke through the clouds, I was finally able to see what prompted Ronald Reagan to spend 349 days of his Presidency at his ranch in Santa Barbara. To T the west, was the vast Pacific Ocean peppered with offshore oil rigs and small boats. To the east was one of the most breathtaking sights I had ever seen: a small city tucked into the mountains just 90 miles north of Los Angeles. My journey to Santa Barbara was the culmination of my my work as a campus activist at Lake Forest College in Illinois. I was joining 22 other students who
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“The retreat was one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career.” were rewarded for our work advancing conservative ideas on campus with a visit to Rancho del Cielo for Young America’s Foundation’s Club 100 Reagan Ranch retreat.
Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | 15th Reagan Ranch Anniversary Issue
Our weekend began with lunch at the Reagan Ranch Center where we were soon acquainted with each other and shared stories of our campus activism. It was remarkable to learn how similar our campuses were, underscoring how much liberalism has reared its ugly head on college campuses but also showing that there is hope for every campus. The retreat included campfires at El Capitan Canyon, lectures, and sessions with conservative leaders including author Mike Adams, Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson, President Reagan’s friend and Secret Service agent John Barletta, and