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FALL 2026

Inside: Scenes from YAF’s Freedom at 250 Rallies and Conferences

VOL. 47 • NO. 1

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September 21, 2026 Dear Fellow Patriots,

Fall 2026

n July 4, 1776, James Monroe was 18 years old. Alexander Hamilton was a mere 21. James Madison was 25. And the author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, was just 33. The Founders were the original YAFers—proving that you are never too young to fight for freedom. This year, through Young America’s Foundation’s Freedom at 250 initiative (see page 16), we set out to help young people understand the risks that the patriots who founded our country took for the liberties we hold today—and then challenge them to consider what they would do to preserve these liberties for future generations. Freedom at 250 has been a huge success, from filling the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to drawing record attendance at our Reagan Ranch High School Conferences in Santa Barbara. YAF also hosted a massive block party at the Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois, and attracted more than 1,000 students and supporters to George Washington’s Mount Vernon for the kickoff of our National Conservative Student Conference. Throughout 2026, we have doubled the size of our major conferences, expanded our campus speaker events, and distributed materials to young people to educate them about why we should be proud of our country, the Founders, and the Declaration of Independence. In the coming months, we will host more events at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, in Dallas, and at the Reagan Ranch. Looking ahead to 2027, we are planning to launch new programs that teach students about the benefits of freedom and the failures of democratic socialism and communism. With pride in our country and proficiency in American history at all-time lows, we have much more work to do. Thank you for making these experiences possible for so many students. I am excited to see what our young people accomplish. In this edition of Libertas, you will read about two of our alumni and YAF directors, Peter Schweizer and Wynton Hall, who recently wrote bestselling books that are driving public policy debates across the country (see page 5). This edition also highlights our students’ efforts to take our conservative message to some of the most liberal campuses in the nation. Additionally, you will learn about how YAF’s supporters are making a real impact by investing in our student programs. When we gathered at Mount Vernon this summer, I reminded our students that General Washington nearly lost his army on December 31, 1776. The enlistments of many of his soldiers were nearing their end, and his men were tired and starving. General Washington made an impassioned plea for them to give him one more month. The Continental Army went on to victory in Princeton a few days later, and the rest is history. Like our Founders, we must ponder what we are willing to do to save our great nation. You are never too young, or too old, to do what is right. We must never give up.

Keep Fighting for Freedom,

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Volume 47

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Number 1

Political Violence: A Uniquely Left-Wing Problem Remarks at Harvard Law School Republished for the One-Year Anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s Passing

By Michael Knowles, Host at The Daily Wire

Freedom at 250 Rallies and Conferences Energize Students to Promote America’s Founding Values

By Raj Kannappan, Editor

A Tribute to Michael Reagan

By Andrew Coffin, Vice President & Director of the Reagan Ranch

YAF Supporters Gather for Largest-Ever Rawhide Circle Retreat at the Alisal Ranch

Jason Barbour, Vice President & Director of Development

A Shining Beacon of Conservatism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

By Courtney Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison YAF

Exposing Students to Conservative Ideas at Cornell University

By Nicholas Gonzalez, William & Berniece Grewcock Intern Scholar

“Building a Cadre of Young Leaders”

An Interview with Former YAF National Chairman Ron Docksai

On the Cover:

Also in This Issue:

The biggest audiences of students in Young America’s Foundation’s history attend the Freedom at 250 rallies and conferences throughout 2026 to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

Student Demand Surges for National Journalism Center’s Internship Program

YAF Directors Peter Schweizer and Wynton Hall Top New York Times Bestseller Lists

Students Network with Conservative Leaders at YAF’s Capitol Hill Programs

YAF’s Top Activists Walk in the Footsteps of Heroes in Normandy

Become a Member of Young America’s Foundation’s Giving Clubs to Help Save America

Sponsor an Acre at Rancho del Cielo

Establish Your Legacy with Young America’s Foundation

Join YAF’s President, Governor Scott Walker, and Tonette Walker on 2027 Portsmouth to Copenhagen Cruise

VOL. 47 • NO. 1

FALL 2026

YAF’s Freedom Inside: Scenes from nces at 250 Rallies and Confere

Libertas, the Latin word for liberty, is a publication of Young America’s Foundation which highlights the programs, events, students, alumni, supporters, and staff of the Foundation. You may contact Libertas and Young America’s Foundation by writing to: Young America’s Foundation, National Headquarters, 11480 Commerce Park Drive, Sixth Floor, Reston, Virginia 20191; calling 800-USA-1776; or visiting yaf.org.

Governor Scott Walker President

Editor: Raj Kannappan; Publisher: Young America’s Foundation; Publication Design: Jonathan Briggs; Assistant Editors: Dawson Arnold, Chris Byrnes, Patrick Coyle, Kyle Ferrebee, Daniela Gomez, Clare Hinshaw, Allison Houck, Breana Marsh, Rico Riccardi, Tom Robinson, Ellen Saakashvili, Felicity Schmidt, Rob Tandy, Amy Varner, Connor Vogelsong, and Max Whalen; Washington, D.C., event photographers: David Keith and Bob Updegrove; California event photographers: Amy Madson, Zach Mendez, and Jacqueline Pilar; Illinois event photographer: Crystal Green. This document and all herein contents, images, stories, graphics, and design, fall unto copyright © 2005 to 2026 Young America’s Foundation, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Any use of Libertas content without the written permission of Young America’s Foundation is prohibited.

Young America’s Foundation Board Of Directors Governor Scott Walker President Ronald Pearson Vice President Kimberly Begg T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Treasurer Wynton C. Hall Nicole Hoplin Secretary Emily Jashinsky Kate Obenshain Keeler Peter Schweizer

Reagan Ranch Board Of Governors Governor George Allen Chairman Edwin Meese Co-Chairman Robert F. Agostinelli Candee Arndt Dr. Suzanne Becker George & Becky Norton Dunlop Bruce & Kathi Eberle Richard Gaby & Barbara Van Andel-Gaby Robert Giuffra, Jr. Timothy S. Goeglein Michael W. Grebe Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold Eric & Nicole Hoplin Ann Knapheide Mark Larson Rebekah Mercer Dennis & Nancy Moore Doug & Pat Perry Larry R. Polhill Rear Admiral JJ Quinn Ruppert & Cheryl Reinstadler Richard & Jane Schwartz Bernadette Casey Smith Thomas F. & Joan D. Streiff Tonette Walker Jay Webber

National Journalism Center Board Of Governors Katie Pavlich Chairman Chris Bedford Sarah Bedford T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Elizabeth Donatelli John Gizzi Emily Jashinsky Rich Lowry Alex Marlow The Honorable Alex Mooney Larry O’Connor Gabby Orr Ronald Pearson Tom Winter Emeritus

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Student Demand Surges for National Journalism Center’s Premier Internship Program Under the leadership of National Journalism Center (NJC) Director Geoffrey Ingersoll, student interest in NJC’s unique media and journalism internship program has surged in recent years. The summer 2026 class included 35 top college students who were accepted into the program from a pool of more than 150 applicants—making it one of the most competitive classes in the program’s history. Founded by M. Stanton Evans in 1977, NJC provides aspiring journalists with the opportunity to learn the principles and practices of responsible reporting. NJC’s paid 12-week internship program in the nation’s capital gives interns the tools and experiences to combat liberal bias in the mainstream media. Summer 2026 interns were matched with media outlets that reflected their interests and experiences, including The Federalist, Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, and others. These placements helped the young journalists develop practical skills and a better understanding of media, society, and public policy and how the three intersect in Washington, D.C., and across the country. In addition to working at their placements, NJC interns participated in classroom training as well as hands-on experiences, including visiting a local gun range for firearms training and meeting with the leadership and staff of the U.S. Department of State. To complement classroom education on core journalism skills, the program curriculum also included coursework on artificial intelligence research tools, citizen journalism, and independent media.

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YAF Directors Peter Schweizer and Wynton Hall Top New York Times Bestseller Lists NJC Board of Governors member Elizabeth Donatelli leads a day-long classroom training session on video editing.

As government bureaucrats and mainstream media have sought to conceal the intervention of foreign

To attract and train the best and brightest young journalists, NJC proactively recruits students nationwide—at conservative liberal arts institutions like Hillsdale College and Grove City College as well as flagship state institutions like Florida State University and the University of North Carolina, where new institutes of alternative thought are forming and serving as feeders for NJC. NJC is also pleased to offer personalized career counseling services to its alumni, providing them with opportunities to discuss their professional goals and the job market with NJC staff. Staff then recommend appropriate roles or organizations in journalism, offer guidance on resume writing, and introduce alumni to hiring supervisors at media organizations. Recent graduates of NJC—like CBS News’s Gabe Kaminsky, who has worked to unearth the Left’s censorship apparatus; Reagan Reese, who has vaulted into the White House correspondent role at The Daily Caller; and Samuel Mangold-Lenett, who is speechwriting at the White House— are at the leading edge of modern media. As Ingersoll states, “The environment is target-rich for anyone willing to ask the right questions, find the right angles, and aggressively pursue neglected lines of inquiry.” ———————————————————————————————

To learn more about NJC’s internship program, please visit yaf.org/national-journalism-center or contact NJC Director Geoffrey Ingersoll at gingersoll@yaf.org or 800-USA-1776.

governments and radical domestic actors in American life, Young America’s Foundation Directors Peter Schweizer and Wynton Hall have once again exposed the truth through their latest New York Times bestselling books. In The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, Schweizer delivers a staggering investigation into the operations of the Chinese Communist Party and the government of Mexico, among others, to use mass migration into the United States as a weapon to influence domestic policymaking and America’s elections. In Code Red: The Left, the Right, China, and the Race to Control AI, Hall provides a timely guide for patriotic Americans to understand the scale of the artificial intelligence revolution, discover how America can overcome its enemies on the AI playing field, and how the next generation of young Americans can prepare themselves to succeed in this new age. While Foundation graduates can be found making contributions in virtually all areas of the Conservative Movement and beyond—from government to business and journalism to entertainment—YAF’s alumni authors and the influence they have on public policy demonstrate the organization’s track record of developing future leaders. Schweizer’s journey began at YAF’s National Conservative Student Conference in 1982, about which he later reflected, [At my first conference] we were given a stack of books by Milton Friedman...Bill Buckley, etc. I had read National Review, but the conference was my first exposure to conservative books. I discovered then and there that, unlike articles or lectures, books can really influence a person over the long term. That’s why I turned to writing books after college.

The National Journalism Center’s summer 2026 interns gather at Young America’s Foundation’s National Headquarters in Reston, Virginia, for their orientation.

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

With YAF scholarships supporting his studies at The George Washington University and Oxford University, Schweizer deepened his engagement—later serving on YAF’s staff, editing Libertas, speaking at countless student conferences, and ultimately joining YAF’s Board of Directors. Today, Schweizer serves as the founder and president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), the mission of which is to investigate and expose crony capitalism, misuse of taxpayer monies, and other governmental corruption or malfeasance.

Wynton Hall discusses his latest book, Code Red, during YAF’s High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch in March 2026.

Code Red provides a guide for patriotic Americans to navigate the artificial intelligence revolution.

Peter Schweizer’s latest book, The Invisible Coup, investigates the weaponization of immigration by foreign governments and radical domestic actors.

In 1995, Hall—a University of Florida student at the time—attended a regional Foundation conference in Atlanta after learning about YAF from a fellow student. He remarked about his career trajectory, I have been blessed along my journey with influential mentors who invested time and sagacity into honing the craft of writing…That first YAF conference in Atlanta left an indelible and lasting mark on my intellectual and career development…It was intellectually liberating and a harbinger of things to come. In addition to serving on YAF’s Board of Directors, Hall is the owner of Wynton Hall & Co., a premier celebrity ghostwriting agency. He is also the social media director for Breitbart News and a distinguished fellow at GAI. Hall’s expertise has played an essential role in significantly expanding YAF’s online reach across digital platforms. Through their continued work with YAF and relentless pursuit of truth, Schweizer and Hall exemplify the values of integrity, patriotism, and intellectual curiosity that the Foundation strives to instill in young people. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

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Students Network with Conservative Leaders at YAF’s Capitol Hill Programs

YAF’s Top Activists Walk in the Footsteps of Heroes in Normandy

Since its founding more than 60 years ago, YAF has

An exclusive group of Young America’s Foundation’s top

worked with leading conservatives to inspire young

people to become lifelong advocates for greater freedom and limited government. In particular, YAF has partnered with accomplished leaders in the nation’s capital, including President Ronald Reagan; Attorneys General Edwin Meese III and John Ashcroft; Secretaries Jack Kemp, Donald Rumsfeld, Betsy DeVos, Dr. Ben Carson, Scott Bessent, and Linda McMahon; and numerous members of the United States Congress. Today, YAF’s William & Berniece Grewcock Capitol Hill Townhouse is the home of the Foundation’s work to advance conservative ideas in Washington, D.C. The 3,600-squarefoot facility—located just steps from the U.S. Capitol and congressional office buildings—provides an ideal meeting location for YAF students, alumni, supporters, and allies in Congress to gather for meals, receptions, and discussions. This summer, YAF hosted the annual Buckley Breakfast Club series—named after YAF Founder William F. Buckley, Jr.—at the Capitol Hill Townhouse. This program for Washington, D.C.-area interns offered networking, education, and encouragement for attendees to advance America’s founding principles. Young conservatives from more than 50 colleges and nearly 80 congressional offices participated in sessions with key members of Congress and Conservative Movement leaders. Speakers included YAF’s president, Governor Scott Walker; U.S. Representatives Tom McClintock (CA-05), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), and Barry Moore (AL-01); U.S. Senator Rand Paul; 48th Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares;

YAF’s Buckley Breakfast Club series at the Foundation’s Capitol Hill Townhouse allows interns to meet with prominent conservative leaders, including Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (featured above).

and Geoffrey Ingersoll, YAF’s National Journalism Center Director. Additionally, hundreds of students interning in Washington, D.C., attended YAF’s Reagan Forum on Capitol Hill. The annual event, which coincides with the anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s passing in 2004, educates the next generation of young conservatives and future policymakers about President Reagan’s values and legacy. This year’s event was moderated by YAF alumna Katie Pavlich, who hosts Katie Pavlich Tonight on NewsNation and serves on the National Journalism Center Board of Governors. The program featured a timely discussion between Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) and 67th Governor of Virginia George Allen—who also serves on YAF’s Reagan Ranch Board of Governors—about the importance of defending the U.S. Constitution and limiting the power of government. Through these YAF programs on Capitol Hill, interns discussed topics such as effectively communicating conservative policies, challenging media bias, pursuing a career in policymaking and public office, and the future of the Conservative Movement. Attendees also gained access to YAF’s student resources, upcoming programs, and information on joining or establishing YAF chapters on their college campuses. Blake Wiley from Miami University, who attended the Reagan Forum, noted that the event allowed him to “reflect on our nation’s shared history and the steps conservatives need to take to prevent socialism and communism in the next 250 years.” He added, “We may be of different generations, but the speakers reflected our shared conservative values.” YAF alumna and NewsNation Host Katie Pavlich moderates the Foundation’s annual Reagan Forum on Capitol Hill, which features a discussion between Governor George Allen (left) and Congressman Chip Roy (middle).

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

student activists participated in the second annual Normandy

Summit, which provided them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the historic shores of Normandy, France, and absorb the lessons of courage and sacrifice that defined D-Day. This year’s program coincided with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, when Allied forces landed in Normandy and began the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. Before departing for Europe, YAF’s students—who were selected based on their leadership and commitment to campus activism—gathered at the Foundation’s National Headquarters in Reston, Virginia, where they participated in classroom training sessions with Lt. Col. Allen West, YAF Director of Campus Advancement Hunter Morrow, and YAF Conference Coordinator Sofia Medina. They also visited Arlington National Cemetery, deepening their understanding of the sacrifices made by those who served the nation. The group then traveled to Normandy on a journey filled with history, learning, and commemorations. Attendees first visited Pointe du Hoc, Utah Beach, and Omaha Beach—some of the most pivotal sites of the American effort during the D-Day invasion—as well as Sainte-Mère-Église, the landing site of the 82nd Airborne Division. Students later explored more landing sites—Gold, Sword, and Juno Beaches— gaining a broader perspective on the scale of Operation Overlord. The group also appreciated the powerful experience of visiting the Normandy American Cemetery and walking among the seemingly endless rows of white headstones marking the resting places of American

Students (from left) Brody Baker, Aidan Haas, and Audrey Delgado pay their respects at the Normandy American Cemetery.

soldiers, many of whom were younger than the students themselves. At each site, Lt. Col. West offered historical context and personal reflections, bringing the events of D-Day to life. Throughout their time in Normandy, YAF’s students met with and expressed their gratitude to World War II veterans for all they did to preserve freedom for future generations. Reflecting on the unforgettable experience, Colorado College YAF activist Michael Benin stated, As we first stepped onto Omaha Beach, Lt. Col. West reminded us that 2,501 Americans died on these shores—and that with every step, we were likely walking where one of them made the ultimate sacrifice. That really transformed the entire walk across the beach. Each step felt heavier and more intentional as it sank in what had happened there 82 years ago.

YAF campus activists visit Omaha Beach, the main landing point for American troops during the D-Day invasion. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

a Political Violence: A Uniquely Left-Wing Problem

Join the Club!

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Become a member of one of Young America’s Foundation’s exclusive, annual giving clubs to help save America. Members of President’s Club, Rawhide Circle, and Defenders of Freedom provide the backbone of support for YAF’s efforts to pass on your conservative values to future generations of young Americans.

————————————————

— Remarks by Michael Knowles at Harvard Law School — Republished for the One-Year Anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s Passing

Benefits include permanent recognition at the Reagan Ranch, invitations to exclusive giving club events, private visits to the Reagan Ranch for you and your family, and much more.

T Young America’s Foundation’s Giving Clubs President’s Club Benefits (annual giving of $2,500+)

• An invitation to the annual President’s Club Weekend • A permanent engraving of your name on Freedom Wall at the Reagan Ranch • Open invitation to visit the Reagan Ranch or the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home for a private tour

Rawhide Circle Benefits (annual giving of $10,000+; or lifetime giving of $100,000+) • An invitation to the annual, exclusive Rawhide Circle Retreat • A unique Rawhide Circle recognition plaque to acknowledge your membership • All benefits included in YAF’s President’s Club giving level

Defenders of Freedom Benefits (annual giving of $100,000+; or lifetime giving of $1,000,000+) • • • •

Invitations to exclusive Defenders of Freedom events around the country Prominent, permanent recognition on Freedom Wall at the Reagan Ranch VIP access to YAF events around the country featuring Foundation leaders and conservative dignitaries All benefits included in YAF’s President’s Club and Rawhide Circle giving levels

For more information, please contact Vice President & Director of Development Jason Barbour at jasonb@reaganranch.org or (336) 543-4536. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

hank you very becomes more tolerant of much. It is a deviant ideas and behaviors, great pleasure it simultaneously becomes to be here. I less tolerant of normal want to thank the Harvard ideas and behaviors, and Law Republicans for vice versa—less tolerant, the invitation. I want to that is, of what it deems to thank Young America’s be intolerance. As society Foundation, as always, for promotes a new set of hosting, and I want to thank norms, it must suppress the the administration for old one. To use an example approving this event. relevant to Professor It is gratifying amid Vagistan, as society the increasing intolerance tolerates men in women’s on university campuses bathrooms, it necessarily that the broad-minded and simultaneously Harvard administrators stops tolerating separate The Daily Wire Host Michael Knowles takes the podium for a sold-out speech at would allow even a Yale bathrooms for women. Harvard Law School. man to come speak. In There is nothing some ways, this university has an extremely open mind. You groundbreaking in this observation. Another Harvard man, might have noticed this today. I was reading just this morning Herbert Marcuse, wrote a famous essay on the subject. that Harvard has hired a drag queen professor who goes by Anyway, it does not take a fancy degree to understand the law the name…I want to make sure I get this right…LaWhore of non-contradiction. Vagistan. Conservatives have been lamenting the intolerance of our I’m not sure if Professor Vagistan was able to make it out to views on campus and around the country for many years now. the event this evening. I don’t see him or her anywhere. That is That disturbing downward trend, once merely the subject of probably because Professor Vagistan is hard at work preparing gripes and jokes, reached a lethal low a few weeks ago when a the two courses that he will be teaching: Queer Ethnography in leftist assassin murdered my friend, Charlie Kirk, for hosting a the fall and RuPaulitics: Drag, Race, and Desire in the spring. A civil, open debate on campus. reminder that Harvard College costs $90,000 per year to attend. Charlie and I were supposed to host an event together 12 There is a paradox to tolerance, isn’t there? As society days later at the University of Minnesota. Turning Point USA Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Political Violence: A Uniquely Left-Wing Problem

–––– Remarks by Michael Knowles at Harvard Law School ––––

“The American Left reacted to the highest-profile assassination of a political figure in more than half a century—the assassination of a figure, moreover, who held no public office, who passed no legislation—by minimizing, justifying, and even celebrating the violence.” determined that event should go on. I wholeheartedly agreed, and so it did. That was one day after Charlie’s memorial, and so the event became a tribute to Charlie, as was fitting. Political debates could wait for another day. Another day has arrived. It is important now to consider the political implications of what happened and to arrive at certain political conclusions if we want to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.

What happened three weeks ago was nothing less than a national trauma. Really, it was two national traumas. The first national trauma occurred when an assassin’s bullet silenced the most prominent proponent of peaceful debate on the American Right. The second trauma occurred moments later, when mainstream voices on the Left minimized, mocked, and even celebrated the murder. Analyst Matthew Dowd, formerly of MSNBC, took to the airwaves before police had even cleared the crime scene to suggest that Charlie had been struck down by “a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration.” When that jive failed to persuade, Dowd turned to blaming the victim. Hateful thoughts, he shrugged, lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. Charlie was asking for it, in other words. The paper of record published the assassination-related musings of the popular leftist streamer, Hasan Piker, who has previously suggested the assassination of Senator Tom Cotton, another Harvard man, and called for the murder of conservatives more broadly. I will quote Piker’s own words so that I’m not accused of misrepresenting anything: “Kill them. Kill those motherf*****s. Murder those motherf*****s in the street. Let the streets soak in their f***ing red capitalist blood.” Piker’s fellow left-wing streamer, Steven Bonnell, who goes by the nom de plume Destiny, responded to Charlie’s

Host a Breakthrough YAF Speaker on Your Campus If students want to influence their campus culture, hosting a prominent conservative speaker is how they can make an impact. For decades, Young America’s Foundation has specialized in sending the biggest names in the Conservative Movement to colleges and high schools across the country. These speeches and question-and-answer sessions, in addition to the publicity they attract, are often the only times students hear a conservative viewpoint during their time on campus. YAF’s campus speakers have included the most accomplished and articulate conservative leaders, including William F. Buckley, Jr., Lady Margaret Thatcher, Attorneys General Ed Meese and John Ashcroft, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Dr. Arthur Laffer, Dr. Walter Williams, Steve Forbes, Matt Walsh, Speaker Newt Gingrich, Dinesh D’Souza, Yeonmi Park, and Dr. Daniel Di Martino, among many others. Foundation speakers are on the front lines, pushing back against many of the politically correct efforts at our nation’s schools. This is why Time magazine noted that YAF’s campus speakers program is sponsoring hundreds of speeches by conservative leaders each year and that “these speeches have become the biggest event of the semester.” Young America’s Foundation stands ready to assist students across the country who wish to host a YAF speaker on their campus and make an immediate impact. Students should visit YAF.org or contact Campus Event Coordinator Bre Marsh at bmarsh@yaf.org or 800-USA-1776 to get started today.

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

assassination by declaring, “You need conservatives to be afraid of getting killed when they go to events so that they look to their leadership to turn down the temperature.” If only we had not elected Donald Trump, Bonnell argued, we would have more reason to hope that our opponents would not kill us. It was not just A Harvard Law School student asks a question of Michael Knowles following his remarks. professional pundits and political figures. What was even more shocking to most people was how many ordinary liberals minimized, justified, and even celebrated the bloodshed. We all saw this trend while it was happening. For those who would deny it, the commentary was so widespread that major corporations were impelled to issue statements. Microsoft, NASDAQ, every major legacy American airline, and a number of other corporations faced pressure to investigate and fire employees who celebrated the bloodshed. There is no denying what happened. The American Left reacted to the highest-profile assassination of a political figure in more than half a century—the assassination of a So, I looked into it. I looked into the most recent events figure, moreover, who held no public office, who passed no near my own town of Nashville. legislation—by minimizing, justifying, and even celebrating For instance, at the Covenant School shooting—in which the violence. Faced with such indisputable evidence of their a trans ideologue massacred Christian children—it turns out own vile behavior, some on the Left tried to pivot. Rather that the authorities refused to find a political motive. There than deny the behavior, they tried to spread the blame around was a political motive. There was a manifesto. Trans ideology both sides that they claimed engage in and support political targeting Christian kids is as clear a political crime—left-wing violence. political crime—as there is. Congressman Seth Moulton went further. He went so I looked up an incident that actually targeted me. This was far as to claim that despite recent events, political violence is a couple of years ago at the University of Pittsburgh. I was overwhelmingly a right-wing phenomenon. He claimed just engaging in a debate, and two Antifa terrorists showed up one day after Charlie’s assassination that the Right commits and threw an explosive at the building as we were walking on a full three-quarters of political violence in the United stage. They seriously injured a female police officer. One of the States compared to just four percent from the Left. That is a perpetrators is in federal prison, but the Justice Department surprising statistic, I thought. It didn’t ring true to me when I found no political motive. These are card-carrying members heard it, but what do I know?

“Leftists, it turns out, commit relatively little political violence when you don’t count any of the political violence that they commit. Who could have guessed?”

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Political Violence: A Uniquely Left-Wing Problem

–––– Remarks by Michael Knowles at Harvard Law School ––––

A capacity audience of students attend the YAF-sponsored speech by Knowles.

of Antifa, an anarchist cell. One of them was caught multiple times with explosive material on his person while going through TSA. But there was apparently no political motive. How about the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of people and over a billion dollars’ worth of damage? The BLM riots generally do not appear in registers of ideological violence. Leftists, it turns out, commit relatively little political violence when you don’t count any of the political violence that they commit. Who could have guessed? That’s been true for many decades—for at least a century. If we go way back, there were the infamous anarchist bombings of 1919 targeting law enforcement, immigration restrictionists, and prominent businessmen. Does that sound familiar? The bombings were even perpetrated by followers of a man named Luigi—Luigi Galleani. He was an Italian communist, an anarchist. In 1920, anarchists bombed Wall Street. I’ll skip ahead to save time. In the 1960s and 1970s, there were the bombings, murders, and kidnappings perpetrated by the Weather Underground, the Symbionese Liberation Army, and the Black Panthers. In the 1980s, the Black Liberation Army and the May th 19 Communist Organization murdered cops and bombed buildings. Go ahead to 1983, when the Maoism Armed Resistance Unit bombed the U.S. Capitol. That’s an attack that seems to 12

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

have been forgotten by those who continue to sob over the Midwestern grannies who were taking selfies on January 6th. We would be here all night if I offered a full account of leftwing political violence in American history, but I think you get the point. This is not to say that there has never been any political violence from the Right. There has been. The most notable example is probably the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. That was not exactly conservative. It was at least libertarian, certainly anti-government. There have been other instances. But right-wing violence in America differs from left-wing violence in two crucial respects: scope and sympathy. In terms of scope, there is simply no comparison between the occasional right-wing lunatic and the consistent, organized, and funded campaign of violence perpetrated by the Left. The Left simply commits more violence, and I think this might be the more significant difference. When a rightwinger commits an act of terror, he’s roundly condemned by everyone. Whereas, when a leftist commits a terror attack, he enjoys considerable sympathy. It’s not that no one on the Left condemns him, but there is considerable sympathy. A left-winger murders a healthcare executive in cold blood. The most prominent left-wing comedian in America goes on The Tonight Show and yells free Luigi to applause and laughter. Assata Shakur murders a cop, and the Chicago Teachers Union mourns her death. Bill Ayers bombs public buildings, and he

is made a distinguished professor of education and a senior scholar at a public university. He pals around with future Democrat presidents. Angela Davis is arrested for conspiracy to commit murder and participating in the takeover of a courthouse that left four people dead, and she is welcomed with open arms by universities around the country for decades. She campaigned with a Democrat congressman just a few years ago. Forget about the particular perpetrators and enthusiasts. Just look at the statistics. According to a YouGov survey conducted after Charlie’s assassination, nearly a quarter of Americans who describe themselves as very liberal consider it acceptable to celebrate the deaths of public figures they oppose. That’s eight times the rate of their countrymen who consider themselves very conservative. Another survey by YouGov found that this trend is particularly pronounced among young liberals. Among Americans under the age of 45, 26 percent say that political violence can be justified. That’s compared with just seven percent of conservatives. The problem is so obvious that The Atlantic, as liberal a magazine as there ever was, ran a headline just a week ago: Left-Wing Terrorism Is on the Rise. I want to make sure that there is no confusion whatsoever, no excuse whatsoever, for the Left to deny or equivocate. Political violence is real. It is on the rise, and it is a uniquely left-wing problem. The fact that Charlie never held any office or passed any legislation only threw the problem into starker relief. If a man such as he can be assassinated to shrugs and even to raucous applause simply for stating his opinion, if mainstream liberals would dance on the grave of the gracious and moderate Charlie Kirk, what might they do to the rest of us? What do we do with the knowledge that many of our countrymen desire our death? The liberal answer, the classically liberal answer, is simply to debate more and double down on our devotion to the free marketplace of ideas. I’m afraid that answer just doesn’t cut it. I love debate as much as the next guy. I’ve been in debating societies. I debate professionally. I have an extensive bow tie collection. My debate bona fides are second to none, and yet, the marketplace of ideas—all marketplaces—is not a natural institution. They don’t spring up organically out of the ground. They are an artificial creation. They must be created, regulated, and policed. Marketplaces cannot function if bandits keep shooting them up.

If the classically liberal answer to the epidemic of leftist violence is simply more debate, the simply classical answer is simpler still. We need order. We need order in order to have debate. We need order in order to flourish. We need order in order to be free; and to have order, we need to make certain exclusions. Freedom is not the license to do weird stuff. It is not the loosening of our inhibitions. That’s what college tells us freedom is, but that’s not it. That’s what popular liberalism tells us freedom is. It’s not the deference to fantasy over reality. It’s quite the opposite. Freedom is willing predicated on knowledge—that is to say, it is discipline grounded in the truth. If one could be free and undisciplined or free and ignorant, we would let toddlers vote.

“The only adequate response to the epidemic of leftist violence is the reassertion of order, the insistence upon basic truths and moral goods—not as the asymptotic goal of endless debate, but as the axiomatic foundation without which debate cannot occur.” The only adequate response to the epidemic of leftist violence is the reassertion of order, the insistence upon basic truths and moral goods—not as the asymptotic goal of endless debate, but as the axiomatic foundation without which debate cannot occur. C.S. Lewis referred to these principles as the Tao. Others call them the natural law or the first principles of practical reason. As in algebra, which relies on certain unprovable axioms, so too in politics and morality. One cannot quite prove that we should live in an ordered society. But if we don’t assume so, we can’t prove anything else. If our free society is to function, we must foreclose certain antisocial behaviors and suicidal ideologies. We must stop, Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Political Violence: A Uniquely Left-Wing Problem

–––– Remarks by Michael Knowles at Harvard Law School ––––

Students line up to ask Michael Knowles their most pressing questions.

catch the flaw there? At the heart of this kind of thinking, if you can call it that, is the equivalence of good and bad, or at the very least a radical skepticism of our ability to distinguish between good and bad. To answer this charge, I would first encourage these self-styled classical liberals to familiarize themselves with the original classical liberals of the 17th and 18th centuries. I suspect a quick glance at A Letter Concerning Toleration or Areopagitica would have these people accusing John Locke and John Milton of being fascists as well. I suspect they would be shocked to discover that the original classical liberals did not quite share their same radical skepticism when it comes to determining matters of right and wrong, truth and falsehood. The neuroses of these modern liberals inevitably come down to one question: Who decides? Who decides what is

to borrow a phrase from Chesterton, the thought that stops thought. In practical terms, this means we must stigmatize certain evil ideas and behaviors, and we must ostracize people who insist upon them. To many who today call themselves classically liberal, this kind of talk sends a chill down their spines. They hate it. They believe that any limitations on speech or behavior are authoritarian or downright fascistic. They accuse us of hypocrisy for advocating that we cancel people who cheered Charlie Kirk’s murder. We didn’t like it, they argue, when the Left canceled us for speaking out against transing the kids or against abortion. So, we should not cancel leftists for celebrating political murder. If we object when the Left suppresses good things, they argue, then we would be hypocrites to suppress bad things. Do you see the flaw in that logic? Does it take a Knowles delivers a compelling message about the proper role of free speech in a free society. Harvard Law education to 14

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good? Who decides what is true? They think this is some genius question they’ve landed on. The answer is someone. Someone will decide. Do you know why? Because we live together, and there will be laws. How are we to know? That’s the follow-up. How are we to decide? How on earth could we possibly decide what is good or what is true? How could we know these things? Dare I say, by our reason. That would be one way. By availing ourselves of the reason of many other people embodied in our political tradition. That’s another way. Or enforced by legitimate authority. However we do it, someone will decide. Someone’s going to decide, and the reason is because we live together, and there will be laws. What is a civil law other than an ordinance of reason for the common good by him who has care of the community and promulgated? I did not go to Harvard Law School, so correct me if I’m wrong. Does someone have a better definition of the civil law than that? The irony of these liberal objections to limits, to the stigmatization of certain disordered behaviors and ideologies, is that they fail even on their own terms. Even if the free marketplace of ideas were the highest good to be achieved by any society—not merely an instrument in service of other goods, but truly the highest good in itself—even then, such exclusions would not diminish, but rather support, the marketplace of ideas by ensuring market integrity. I don’t need to remind Harvard Law students that the American free speech tradition enshrined in the First Amendment refuses to protect all sorts of speech—broad, direct threats, obscenity, and so on—precisely because the purpose of the First Amendment is to promote rational discourse, and those kinds of speech undermine rational discourse. That’s the basic standard. Beyond that, businesses and civil associations establish even higher standards as an expression of their own institutional speech and of their group identity. But our interlocutors ask, if we claim the power to promote good and suppress evil, won’t the Left one day turn this power of discernment on us? By golly, could you imagine if they ever did that? In reality, they won’t do that. What they might do is promote evil and suppress good, which is what we’ve seen for many years. Regardless, perhaps Google’s admission just last week before Congress that it has regularly censored conservatives— at the behest of the government, no less—will disabuse them of their naiveté.

All societies recognize taboos because taboos mark the distinction between good and bad, without which political communities cannot cohere. All government, and especially self-government, relies on the belief that we possess the judgment to draw such distinctions and the discipline to enforce them in a temperate way. Certain disordered behavior merits no more than an eye roll. More aberrant conduct calls for the loss of social standing. Some actions demand that people lose their jobs. Such is the lot of us who live in community.

The Boston Globe highlights the impact of Knowles’s visit to Harvard University.

There must be consequences to heal these national traumas. With any political reform, it is wise to err on the side of caution. The offenses that merit such stigma and ostracism should be particularly egregious. So, a good place to begin would be with those who celebrate the murder of an innocent man who only ever tried to talk it out. Thank you very much. ———————————————————————————————

These remarks have been edited for length and clarity. You may access the full lecture on YAF’s YouTube channel, YAFTV, at Youtube.com/YAFTV. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Freedom at 250

Rallies and Conferences Energize Students to Promote America’s Founding Values By Raj Kannappan, Editor

Ben Shapiro addresses more than 1,000 YAF students, supporters, and alumni during the Freedom at 250 rally at Mount Vernon.

The largest-ever audience of college students attend YAF’s 48th annual National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, D.C.

t exactly the time when patriotism among young people is at an all-time low according to the latest Gallup polls, Young America’s Foundation launched the Freedom at 250 initiative to proudly promote America’s founding values and directly counter the destructive narrative of anti-Americanism promoted by many public leaders, schools, radical activists, and media organizations. In his prescient 1989 farewell address, President Ronald Reagan told the nation, “Younger parents aren’t sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children…Our spirit is back, but we haven’t reinstitutionalized it.” 16

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Since its founding more than 60 years ago, YAF has sought to promote the spirit of patriotism by teaching the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values to increasing numbers of students. In particular, the Foundation’s conferences—first welcoming college students, then high school students in the late 1990s, and now middle school students—have offered a philosophical grounding in these values as well as hands-on training for students to effectively promote these ideas among their peers. The Freedom at 250 initiative is the Foundation’s latest such effort to “reinstitutionalize” patriotism. A key feature of

A packed audience of YAF’s students celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

this year-long initiative is the doubling in size of YAF’s student conferences from coast to coast, allowing the largest-ever audiences of students from middle school through college to gain an education in the ideas that have made America the most exceptional country in the world. Additionally, YAF has partnered exclusively with The Daily Wire to organize a series of Freedom at 250 patriotic rallies, each taking place in conjunction with a premier student conference. The venues for these celebrations include the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee; Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California; Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois; George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia; and National

Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This national tour is uniting The Daily Wire’s powerhouse media brand, iconic talent, and rising stars with YAF’s six decades of experience inspiring America’s youth with a pro-freedom message. In addition to providing historic venues for students to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence from British tyranny, YAF is offering students the ideas, resources, and tangible support to advance these founding values upon their return to their campuses and communities. These transformative experiences are challenging students to embrace (Continued on page 20) Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Students enjoy the historic grounds of George Washington’s Mount Vernon in advance of a patriotic rally.

Young activists cheer the start of YAF’s rally to kick off the National Conservative Student Conference.

Students representing more than 300 colleges attend a Freedom at 250 rally.

High school students gather at Rancho del Cielo for a Freedom at 250 celebration.

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

High schoolers enjoy a musical act to kick off a Freedom at 250 rally at the Reagan Ranch.

Fox News Co-Host Rachel Campos-Duffy and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy headline the Foundation’s rally in Illinois.

Venezuelan economist Dr. Daniel Di Martino speaks during a rally at Rancho del Cielo, encouraging students to preserve America so it avoids the fate of his home country.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee welcomes YAF’s students and supporters to his state for the Freedom at 250 rally.

As part of YAF’s Freedom at 250 initiative, hundreds of high schoolers gather at the Western White House for a patriotic celebration.

Students celebrate America’s founding values during the June 2026 High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch.

(Continued from page 17) their responsibility as heirs to the liberty for which so many before them sacrificed their lives and livelihoods. Among the faculty educating and inspiring students at these events throughout the year are The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Cabot Phillips, and Mary Margaret Olohan; Dr. Ben Carson; economists Dr. Arthur Laffer and Dr. Daniel Di Martino; Prime Minister Boris Johnson; The Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway; Governors Bill Lee, George Allen, and Scott Walker; 48th Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares; and White

House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley, among many others. After each program thus far, more than 90% of students attending stated that their patriotism increased by the conclusion of the event. Calls to action like the following, delivered by Ben Shapiro at Mount Vernon, are making an impact on the future leaders of America:

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

What George Washington faced down in his lifetime was significantly worse than anything any of us have ever faced. He faced tyranny and then rebellion in his

own lifetime. He faced down war and starvation and disease and death.

Understand that. Our future lies in our hands. Let’s seize it together, the way Washington would have.

Here’s what George Washington believed about the future of America. He wrote a circular to the states in June 1783, just a few months before the Treaty of Paris was officially signed, ending the Revolutionary War….He wrote, “At this auspicious period, the United States came into existence as a nation, and if their citizens should not be completely free and happy, the fault will be entirely their own.”

The photo series depicted on these pages showcases a selection of the Freedom at 250 rallies and conferences that are motivating young Americans to seize the opportunity to preserve and pass on their country. ———————————————————————————————

To learn more about YAF’s upcoming student programs, please visit YAF.org/events or call 800-USA-1776. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

A Tribute to Michael Reagan By Andrew Coffin, Vice President & Director of the Reagan Ranch

e lost an American hero, a faithful son, and a at the Ranch is part of what made Ronald Reagan a devoted father and grandfather on January 4, transformational leader. 2026, when Ronald Reagan’s oldest son, Michael Students who heard Michael speak gravitated to that Edward Reagan, died following a battle with cancer. same sense of authenticity that made his father such a I’ve had the great privilege of serving Young America’s successful leader. Foundation at the Reagan Ranch for more than 25 years. It And there were few dry eyes in the room as Michael is an incredible opportunity to play a role in sharing Ronald described his elderly, Alzheimer’s-ridden father standing Reagan’s legacy with young people from across the country. in the doorway, waiting with arms outstretched, because Although I did not meet President Reagan in person, Michael had forgotten to give him a hug goodbye. one of the joys of my job is There were times in getting to know the people Michael’s life when he who were close to Ronald may have struggled with Reagan. Their stories are all the burden of having an remarkably similar. With internationally-known Ronald Reagan, what you mother, Oscar-winning saw was what you got. There actress Jane Wyman, and was no facade. father. But Michael carved You perhaps get the out a path for himself that most profound sense of that honors their legacies while authenticity when you visit leaving his own. Rancho del Cielo, President Of course, that legacy Reagan’s beloved Santa includes the family he leaves Barbara ranch home. His behind: his wonderful wife, faith, humility, patriotism, Colleen; his son, Cameron; and work ethic—all are on his daughter, Ashley; and display in very personal and their families. That legacy poignant ways at the Ranch. also includes the countless No perspective on young people inspired by Ronald Reagan, though, has Michael’s stories of his Michael Reagan was a regular and dedicated speaker at YAF’s events, been more important than father and by Michael’s own including countless High School Conferences at the Reagan Ranch. that of his son, Michael. example. Since the earliest days of the Reagan Ranch project, Michael We are grateful for Michael’s life, for his friendship, for worked alongside YAF to share his father’s legacy and ideas the family he raised, and for the way the Lord has blessed with new generations. the labors of his hands for the good of so many others. Among many other YAF activities, Michael was typically To paraphrase his father’s closing words from the Oval the opening speaker at our High School Conferences at Office: the Reagan Ranch. He did a remarkable job laying the groundwork for the experience young people have when Michael, you haven’t just been marking time. they walk in Ronald Reagan’s footsteps at Rancho del Cielo. You’ve made a difference. Your voice has made Michael helped these future leaders better understand how this country stronger and freer, and, thanks to Ronald Reagan’s life at the Ranch connects to his character your commitment to sharing the lessons of your and values. father with young Americans, you are making Michael understood well the way the Ranch gave his sure that we leave her in good hands. father both a respite from the pressures of his office and the courage to face the challenges ahead. Staying grounded All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Michael Reagan and his daughter, Ashley Reagan Dunster, enjoy a moment together during a YAF program in Santa Barbara, California.

Reagan meets with students in front of the Berlin Wall exhibit at the Reagan Ranch Center in 2018.

Reagan takes the podium during the opening dinner banquet of one of the Foundation’s High School Conferences in Santa Barbara.

Following one of his many appearances at YAF’s High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch, Michael Reagan signs copies of his book, Lessons My Father Taught Me, for students.

Throughout his decades of involvement with YAF, Michael Reagan loyally met with groups of students to share the legacy of his father, President Ronald Reagan. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

Forever Tie Your Name to the • Legacy of Ronald Reagan • Sponsor an Acre at Rancho del Cielo

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YAF Supporters Gather for Largest-Ever Rawhide Circle Retreat at the Alisal Ranch By Jason Barbour, Vice President & Director of Development

“From the first day we saw it, Rancho del Cielo cast a spell over us.” — Ronald Reagan “We hope that our ranch will be a spark for many bright young Americans in the years ahead.” — Nancy Reagan “A place to see the real Ronald Reagan” — Washington Post “Rancho del Cielo has allowed the foundation’s reach to transcend generations.” — Los Angeles Times

or more than 60 years, Young America’s Foundation (YAF) has worked closely with President Ronald Reagan and his family to inspire young people with the ideas of individual freedom, free enterprise, a strong national defense, and traditional values. Since 1998, YAF has preserved Reagan’s 688-acre Rancho del Cielo in California, where thousands of young people have walked in the President’s footsteps to learn about his character, values, and vision for America. You can permanently tie your name to America’s greatest modern champion for freedom by sponsoring one of the few remaining acres at the Reagan Ranch. Join an exclusive group of patriotic Americans by protecting this priceless national treasure for the benefit of future generations. When you sponsor an acre at Rancho del Cielo, you will: • Have your name permanently recognized on Rancho del Cielo’s Freedom Wall and at the Reagan Ranch Center, YAF’s Schoolhouse for Reaganism in Santa Barbara, California • Have the opportunity to take a private, unforgettable tour of the Reagan Ranch • And more!

To learn how you can sponsor an acre with a tax-deductible gift, please call

888-USA-1776 or Visit YAF.org. 24

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Rancho del Cielo is preserved exclusively through private support. Young America’s Foundation accepts no government funding.

YAF Vice President and Director of the Reagan Ranch Andrew Coffin moderates a panel featuring YAF’s program staff (from left: Breana Marsh, Tawny Kilpper, Jewel Navarrette, and Sofia Medina).

oung America’s Foundation’s supporters from across the country convened in Solvang, California, for the 2026 Rawhide Circle Retreat. Since 2002, YAF has hosted an annual retreat for Rawhide Circle members, who provide the backbone of support for the Foundation’s mission and work. This year’s retreat—the largest in YAF’s history—brought together 101 families from 23 states, totaling more than 200 supporters, at the historic Alisal Ranch and the neighboring Reagan Ranch. The Santa Ynez Valley provided a stunning backdrop for discussions about YAF’s nationwide youth outreach efforts and plans for significant growth in the coming years. The program opened with a reception and dinner at the Alisal Ranch—a premier 10,000-acre private ranch—which set the stage for three productive and memorable days by allowing Rawhide Circle members to meet new friends and reconnect with fellow YAF supporters.

The group gathered for several informative sessions the next day. Following introductions from first-time Rawhide Circle attendees, YAF President Governor Scott Walker provided a report on YAF’s mission, growth, and impact made possible by the Foundation’s generous supporters. He highlighted the Foundation’s Freedom at 250 initiative, a series of nationwide programs throughout 2026 that are energizing young Americans with the country’s core founding values. Guests then traveled to the Reagan Ranch for a special luncheon featuring remarks by podcast host Sage Steele, followed by guided tours and an open house at President Ronald Reagan’s beloved Western White House. Several first-time visitors to the Ranch gained insight into the work they make possible at this premier Presidential site, which is preserved and protected exclusively through generous philanthropic support. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

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Rawhide Circle members visit Rancho del Cielo during the annual retreat for YAF’s most generous supporters.

Throughout the retreat, Rawhide Circle members also heard directly from the next generation of young conservative leaders. YAF Vice President Patrick Coyle moderated an informative campus activism panel featuring some of YAF’s top student activists, including Liam Ritter from the University of Dallas, Courtney Graves from the University of WisconsinMadison, and Nick Kammerzall from the University of Georgia. An important addition to this year’s retreat was a panel featuring YAF’s student program staff, who provided 26

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supporters with front-line accounts of the Foundation’s programs and initiatives from coast to coast. Moderated by YAF Vice President and Director of the Reagan Ranch Andrew Coffin, the discussion featured Campus Events Coordinator Breana Marsh, Middle School Program Director Tawny Kilpper, Program Officer for Campus Advancement Jewel Navarrette, and Conference Coordinator Sofia Medina. The evening program featured a dinner address by Venezuelan economist Dr. Daniel Di Martino, a member of YAF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise Board

of Advisors, who offered a timely warning to YAF supporters about how socialism destroyed his country. On the final day, guests enjoyed a variety of group excursions—ranging from wine tastings and guided hikes to horseback riding, golf, and a visit to downtown Solvang. To conclude the program, Governor Walker emceed the closing dinner featuring Green Beret combat veteran and popular podcast host Nick Freitas. During his remarks and question-and-answer session, Freitas discussed the importance of Rawhide Circle members continuing to stand with today’s

young conservatives so that they can pass on a strong America to the next generation. Additionally, during the retreat, members of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors held their annual meeting, during which they reviewed the latest projects at Rancho del Cielo and the Foundation’s progress on expanding Midwest outreach at the Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois. In particular, the group discussed the completion of significant capital projects at the Moore Family Retreat Center, Secret Service Command Post, and Operations Center—all intended to strengthen YAF’s Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

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“ YAF has given me a place where I feel confident, comfortable, and proud to be a part of the Conservative Movement.” — Lulu Rose Gilberd YAF student leaders (from right: Nick Kammerzell from the University of Georgia, Courtney Graves from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Liam Ritter from the University of Dallas) participate in a campus activism panel moderated by YAF Vice President Patrick Coyle.

ability to provide a premier experience at Rancho del Cielo for students, supporters, and like-minded conservatives. Beyond the sessions and speakers, the Rawhide Circle Retreat serves a deeper purpose: fostering strong relationships among families who share a commitment to saving America through ideas. This annual gathering allows YAF’s leadership, staff, and students to express gratitude for Rawhide Circle members’ generosity while creating space for them to connect, share experiences, and strengthen bonds that last well beyond the retreat itself.

Young America’s Foundation thanks all Rawhide Circle members for investing in educating and training the next generation of young conservative leaders. ———————————————————————————————

Rawhide Circle members who are interested in learning more about the 2027 Rawhide Circle Retreat, scheduled for April 20-22, 2027, in Sea Island, Georgia, should contact YAF Vice President and Director of Development Jason Barbour at jasonb@reaganranch.org or 336-543-4536 for more information.

CHANGE THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE, LIKE LULU ROSE, THROUGH A LEGACY GIFT TO YOUNG AMERICA’S FOUNDATION. H H H

President Reagan believed, “There is a flickering spark in all of us which, if struck at just the right age, can light the rest of our lives.” You can ensure that spark is lit for generations of young people, like Lulu Rose, by giving an estate gift to Young America’s Foundation. Your gift supports the Foundation’s conferences, seminars, campus lectures, activism initiatives, and the Reagan Ranch and Reagan Boyhood Home—the premier educational sites in the Conservative Movement for young people from middle school through college to be inspired with the ideas of individual freedom, limited government, free enterprise, traditional values, and a strong national defense.

To receive a free Estate Planning Guide or learn about the exciting benefits of membership in Young America’s Foundation’s Ranch in the Sky Legacy Society, please call Legacy Society & Development Relations Director Clare Hinshaw at 800-USA-1776 or visit YAF.org. Rawhide Circle members Martin and Angie Gallun enjoy attending the 2026 Rawhide Circle Retreat.

Podcast host and former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele headlines the Rawhide Circle Retreat luncheon at the Reagan Ranch.

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

RONALD REAGAN BOYHOOD HOME | 810 SOUTH HENNEPIN AVENUE | DIXON, ILLINOIS 61021

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A Shining Beacon of Conservatism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison By Courtney Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison YAF

have been a conservative for morals I hold so dear, while also as long as I can remember. giving me a chance to make likeThis is a passion I inherited minded friends. I have found from my grandfather, with whom no greater sense of community I spent all of my childhood than with my friends in my YAF summers in South Dakota. chapter. My grandfather was an I am proud to have served as immigrant from Latvia, one of the the chairwoman of UW YAF last Soviet satellite states. He escaped year. the war-torn country, fleeing During my time in UW YAF, communism and all the poverty we have hosted many amazing and destruction that it brought, conservative speakers on seeking a better life in America. campus, including Ben Shapiro, He came here with no money and Michael Knowles, Steve Forbes, did not know any English, but Governor Scott Walker, and even he had hope for prosperity and the former prime minister of the was dedicated to achieving his United Kingdom, Boris Johnson. American Dream. We have also organized many My grandfather got a job, impactful activism events, enlisted in the United States Navy, including a pro-life timeline, a served our country, bought a debate about socialism, and the Former University of Wisconsin-Madison YAF Chairwoman home, and created a better life 9/11: Never Forget Project flag Courtney Graves thanks supporters of Young America’s Foundation during the 2026 Rawhide Circle Retreat. for himself. From him, I learned memorial on campus to honor the values that have guided those who lost their lives in the recognized that I could be part of a larger devastating terrorist attacks in 2001. my life: self-responsibility, hard work, Conservative Movement. freedom, and a profound love for the One of my favorite activism projects I started reading books written by country I am so fortunate to call home. was our pro-America rally. Following great free market thinkers like Milton Although I always held conservative Hamas’s murderous attacks on Israel in Friedman and Thomas Sowell, and I beliefs, I didn’t fully understand what 2023, hundreds of leftist students camped began to aspire to a career in economic conservatism was until high school. I out on our campus lawn, chanting policy through which I could advocate remember having to choose a speech to antisemitic and anti-American rhetoric. for freer markets. analyze for a school assignment, and I To counter this, our YAF chapter Growing up in a liberal town in blindly picked Ronald Reagan’s “A Time held a rally right across the sidewalk Minnesota, I had not heard of YAF for Choosing” speech. from the encampment, playing patriotic before college. But during my first For the first time, I heard the music, distributing pocket Constitutions, week as a student at the University of principles that I had felt all my life and handing out red, white, and blue Wisconsin-Madison (UW), I saw the articulated in a way that deeply popsicles. All the protesters had to do university’s YAF chapter tabling in our resonated with me. Many of the to get a popsicle was say one thing they campus courtyard. I immediately went economic and national security liked or appreciated about America. To over and signed up. issues from President Reagan’s time no one’s surprise, the radical agitators Becoming part of YAF has given are relevant today. Listening to this were unable to say a single positive thing me an outlet to fight for the values and speech was a turning point for me. I about the country. 30

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Courtney Graves (third from right) and her fellow University of Wisconsin-Madison YAF leaders meet with YAF President Governor Scott Walker.

We had so many students and parents walk by and thank us for presenting an alternative voice on campus. This activism event worked so well because it exemplified President Reagan’s call for conservatives to be “happy warriors.” During my time as chairwoman of UW YAF, our chapter also placed strong emphasis on ideological diversity and free speech. We hosted Wisconsin Senate President Mary Felzkowski to discuss how the legislature could help protect free speech on campus, as well as a panel featuring four conservative professors to brainstorm ways we could realistically increase intellectual diversity at our university. In December 2025, I also had the honor of speaking on behalf of YAF in front of members of Congress at the annual Campus Free Speech Roundtable in Washington, D.C. I was able to share my experience of being a conservative student leader and express my concerns about the lack of First Amendment

“Becoming part of YAF has given me an outlet to fight for the values and morals I hold so dear, while also giving me a chance to make likeminded friends.” — COURTNEY GRAVES

protections at our nation’s public universities. All of this is not to say that running a YAF chapter is not without its challenges. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is among the most liberal colleges in the country. Our school’s administration is often hostile towards conservatives and

conservative ideas, and leftist students frequently try to shut down our events and ideas. In 2023, our chapter hosted The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh to speak on transgenderism. In an attempt to stop Walsh from speaking, leftist radicals caused more than $30,000 in damage to the historic Memorial Union building, which serves as a dedication to our nation’s veterans. One agitator was even caught eating a Bible during the event. When our YAF chapter then hosted Michael Knowles to speak on campus the following semester, campus leftists were beside themselves. UW administrators even attempted to charge our chapter a last-minute $4,000 security fee due to what had occurred a year earlier in response to our event featuring Walsh. They didn’t care about our security; they were scheming to derail the event by footing us with a big bill. Only after our YAF chapter, along with the Wisconsin Institute for Law Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

S T U D E N T

C O L U M N

S T U D E N T

Exposing Students to Conservative Ideas at Cornell University

“Together, we can help preserve our conservative values of free enterprise,

By Nicholas Gonzalez, William & Berniece Grewcock Intern Scholar

individual liberty, and a strong national defense

and ensure that the founding principles of our nation can live on for generations to come.” — COURTNEY GRAVES

& Liberty, threatened to sue school administrators did they back down and allow us to hold our event without paying the fee. Even within the hostile liberal echo chamber, our YAF chapter has remained a shining beacon of conservatism on our campus, providing students with inspirational pro-American resources for conservative activism and speaker events. The success of University of Wisconsin-Madison YAF would not be possible without Young America’s Foundation’s generous supporters. Because of these patriotic Americans, we have been able to remain true to our mission, grow our chapter membership, and host some of the most impactful activism and speaker events in the state of Wisconsin. UW YAF will remain strong long after I am gone, providing future conservative students with the same sense of community and opportunities for intellectual growth. Together, we can help preserve our conservative values of free enterprise, individual liberty, and a strong national defense and ensure that the founding principles of our nation can live on for generations to come. 32

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

C O L U M N

Graves (second from left) and her fellow University of Wisconsin-Madison students enjoy attending a Young America’s Foundation conference.

University of Wisconsin-Madison YAF chapter leaders Courtney Graves and Benjamin Rothove welcome a packed campus audience to a YAF lecture featuring former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in early 2026.

am a senior at Cornell principles that must be actively University, one of the most defended. That conviction is liberal universities in the why I am a conservative. country. I am proud to have The moment I arrived served on the executive board as a freshman at Cornell, I of the Cornell Republicans, our knew I wanted to find other campus conservative club, for the conservatives and become last two years. involved in advancing the As a Cuban-American raised principles that meant so much in Miami, Florida, I grew up to my family and me. During my hearing first-hand accounts of first week on campus, I attended the horrors of socialism. All a Cornell Republicans event and of my grandparents fled Fidel quickly found a community Castro’s Cuba in the 1960s after of students who shared my the dictatorship took nearly convictions. everything they owned. Arriving Through our club, I learned in the United States with little about Young America’s more than determination and Foundation and have had the hope, they worked tirelessly to privilege of working alongside build new lives for themselves and YAF over the last three years to their families. Their example bring the leading conservative Nicholas Gonzalez serves as a William & Berniece Grewcock Intern Scholar at YAF’s National Headquarters during the summer of 2026. shaped my father, who worked voices to Cornell’s campus. full-time while putting himself I am deeply grateful for the As I grew older, I came to through college before becoming a opportunities that YAF has provided to understand that the opportunities certified public accountant. me and countless other students. my family found in America were not From an early age, I understood During my first semester, YAF a matter of chance. They were the that my family’s story could have ended supported our club in bringing The Daily product of a constitutional system very differently. Whenever I heard Wire Host Michael Knowles to Cornell, designed to protect individual liberty, about Cuba, I thought of a tyrannical where he spoke about the importance limit government power, and foster free government that stifled opportunity and of free speech to a packed auditorium of enterprise. crushed ambition. When I heard about 300 students. I had previously watched President Ronald Reagan often America, I thought of a country where Knowles’s debates and podcasts online, described America as a “shining city hard work, talent, and perseverance but watching him persuade an audience on a hill.” For Cuban-Americans, those could lead to success. in person was a surreal experience. For words carry special meaning. When I also realized that some public the first time, I saw what my fellow my grandparents lost Cuba, they were officials and activists wanted to young conservatives and I could able to escape to America. If America transform America and replace its accomplish with the resources and loses what makes it exceptional, there is economic and political system with institutional support YAF provided. nowhere left to go. a system based on division and envy. That event truly changed how I The more I studied American history Their rhetoric was reminiscent of the viewed my work on campus. I realized and government, the more convinced I socialists whom my family had told me that we were not simply a student became that America was founded upon club. We could introduce conservative had deceived the Cuban people. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

S T U D E N T

At a YAF campus lecture hosted by Nicholas Gonzalez and fellow young conservatives at Cornell University, Ben Shapiro addresses a sold-out audience of 1,200 students about the dangers of intersectional wokeness.

ideas to students who had never seriously encountered them, provide a community for those who already shared our convictions, and strengthen the Conservative Movement’s presence at a major university where the vast majority of our faculty members and administrators were liberal. Motivated by that experience, I ran to become our club’s vice president of external operations and won my election. Our club entrusted me with recruiting new members, managing communications and social media, and helping bring prominent conservative voices to campus. As I have advanced through our club’s leadership, I have witnessed first-hand the impact YAF has had on our growth. Since our event featuring Knowles, YAF has supported our club to bring several top conservative leaders to campus, including The Daily Wire Founder Ben Shapiro, pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In 2024, Shapiro spoke to more than 1,200 students and community members—with many more wanting to get a seat—in the largest auditorium on 34

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

“When my grandparents lost Cuba, they were able to escape to America. If America loses what makes it exceptional, there is nowhere left to go.” — NICHOLAS GONZALEZ

our campus, Bailey Hall. He presented a compelling case for eliminating “intersectional wokeness” from education, and he even urged students who disagreed with him to move to the front of the line during the questionand-answer session. These events have had a measurable impact on Cornell’s campus culture. During my freshman year, most of our speaker events attracted dozens of students. Now, our events draw hundreds, if not more. Students who

once may have remained silent are increasingly willing to participate openly in campus life and identify themselves as conservatives. Our university administration has had to respond, too. When we recently hosted Prime Minister Johnson to deliver a speech titled “The West is Worth Saving” to an audience of more than 600 students, Cornell’s provost introduced the event. Today, our club is in the strongest position in recent memory. We are more vocal on campus, have a strong community of students, have the respect of our university administration, and are more connected to the national Conservative Movement. This standing allows us to reach far more students and equip them to become leaders for our cause. We simply would not be where we are today without YAF. For that reason, I was grateful when YAF accepted me into its William & Berniece Grewcock Intern Scholar program this summer at its National Headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Having witnessed YAF’s impact at Cornell, I was eager to spend my summer working with YAF’s staff to contribute even more to

C O L U M N

its mission of supporting conservative students across the country. Even more than providing me professional opportunities, YAF has given me a community. It has given me a community. Through the Cornell Republicans and YAF, I have formed lasting friendships and found an outlet to advance the principles that I care about most. Although the climate at Cornell has improved in recent years, hostility towards conservatives remains a real challenge. Most recently, this erupted in a widely publicized altercation between left-wing activists and Cornell’s president following a campus debate on Israel and Palestine that he introduced explicitly in the name of free speech. After the event, these activists followed and harassed the president to his vehicle, recorded him, photographed his license plate, and surrounded and banged on his car in an attempt to intimidate him. This behavior did not emerge in a vacuum. Similar voices openly cheered the murder of Charlie Kirk in 2025. With little accountability, agitators have grown increasingly emboldened at Cornell. In this turbulent environment, our club remains committed to bringing leading conservative voices to campus and ensuring that our ideas have a prominent place at Cornell. The growth of the Cornell Republicans in recent years would not have been possible without YAF’s generous supporters. They have helped to ensure that conservative students at Cornell have the confidence, resources, and financial support necessary to make our voices heard and expose others to ideas they otherwise would not have considered. I am deeply grateful for the investment that YAF’s supporters have provided to make my experience possible and to educate and train the next generation of young conservative leaders.

Gonzalez meets with The Daily Wire Founder Ben Shapiro following Shapiro’s YAF campus lecture.

Gonzalez enjoys networking with young conservatives during an event at YAF’s Capitol Hill Townhouse in Washington, D.C. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

S U P P O R T E R

I N T E R V I E W

“Building a Cadre of Young Leaders” An Interview with Former YAF National Chairman Ron Docksai

r. Ron Docksai was born in New York City and is an accomplished alumnus of Young Americans for Freedom who has been involved with the Conservative Movement for more than 60 years. He served as national chairman of YAF from 1969 to 1975, helping to build it into the leading conservative youth organization in America. Docksai earned a bachelor of arts in political science from St. John’s

A 1969 edition of The New Guard, the magazine published by Young Americans for Freedom, features a profile of Ron Docksai.

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

University in New York, a master of public administration and a master of arts in international relations from New York University, Building on his early YAF leadership, Ron Docksai goes on to serve as and a doctorate assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in in government the Reagan administration. from Georgetown University. He served as a captain in future generations of young Americans nd the U.S. Army’s 82 Airborne Division through their legacy support of YAF’s and later held key roles in government mission. and the private sector, including staff director for U.S. Senator Orrin Libertas: What was your upbringing Hatch, assistant secretary of the U.S. like? ———————————————————— Department of Health and Human Services in the Reagan administration, Docksai: I was born in Queens, New vice president of government relations York. My mother was a refugee from at Dow Chemical, and vice president Hamburg, Germany, which she fled just of government relations at Bayer before World War II to escape the Nazis. Corporation. My father was a refugee from Budapest, Docksai received YAF’s Alumni and he came to America to escape Award in 2019 for his lifetime communism. Like many Americans of contributions to YAF and the broader my generation, I was the child of middleConservative Movement. class parents from Europe. Docksai and his wife, Nancy My mother was a single mom for Pincombe Docksai, recently committed some time, as my father died when I was to providing a planned gift to endow one and a half. She remarried when I the Docksai Leadership Fund with was nine years old. She ran a business—a Young America’s Foundation, which rooming house in Queens—to make ends will allow the Foundation to recruit meet, and the corrupt building inspectors and offer activism training to the made life miserable for us. Watching this most promising young conservative really affected me, and I got involved leaders each year in perpetuity. The with demonstrating against the city Docksais’ values will be passed on to government when I was 14 years old.

Both my mother and stepfather were initially hesitant about my activism. She was more encouraging, and he felt I should go out and work at a job that was practical and brought in an income. Libertas: How did you first learn about Young Americans for Freedom? ————————————————————

Docksai: I was fortunate to stumble into YAF. I had started my own conservative group in New York City, and within a year, my group of seven high school students grew to 175 students. I then got a call from National Review and met with Bill Buckley, Jr., who had founded the magazine and YAF. Our group soon merged with YAF and became a Young Americans for Freedom chapter. Libertas: What were some of your intellectual influences as a young conservative? ————————————————————

Docksai: Buckley tutored so many of us young conservatives. In fact, early on, he recommended seven books that I devoured. I even memorized several passages from each of them. The works included Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France, and The Federalist Papers.

intellectual ammunition to withstand the overwhelmingly liberal faculty. At the time, there was a growing group of us on the Right who didn’t identify with the educational establishment’s values. Our values were centered around God and family. Libertas: You were an early YAF leader in many ways. What was a memorable experience from your time as national chairman? ————————————————————

Docksai: I was elected national chairman of YAF in 1969, when I was a mere 19 years old! I served as chairman for six years, which was a fantastic experience. There are too many

“YAF defined my life’s course, and we wish to provide that same experience for other young people in the future.” — RON DOCKSAI

wonderful memories to count. On one occasion, our YAF Board of Directors had an unwritten obligation that each of us would meet with potential financial supporters and bring back $5,000 or $10,000 in contributions. I had heard from Bill Buckley that Charles Edison, who had served as governor of New Jersey, was interested in our work. So I managed to secure a meeting with Edison. I took the subway from Queens to Manhattan, where Edison was living in the Waldorf Astoria. I was brought up to his home, which took up an entire floor of the tower. Edison was sitting at this huge desk, next to an oil painting of his father, Thomas Edison. He knew that I was there to ask for some kind of contribution, and he asked what the name of our group was. He took out his checkbook and stated that he wanted to make a contribution. He then said, “Before I write this check, I want you to give me a speech on freedom.” So I gave him a speech. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but whatever it was, Edison wrote a check for $50,000. I put the check in my pocket and took the subway back to Queens. I was nervous the whole way. I called YAF’s national office and explained that I had

Libertas: Can you discuss your experience as a conservative in college? ————————————————————

Docksai: I was fortunate to have met a conservative professor at St. John’s University, Henry Paolucci, through my involvement in politics. He became like an uncle to me, and he spoke with my stepfather privately and convinced him that my going to college was a good thing. I was able to get my degree at St. John’s, earn master’s degrees at New York University, and then complete my PhD at Georgetown University. Because of our YAF involvement in high school, by the time many of us young conservatives got to college, we had read enough and had the

Docksai addresses the Young Americans for Freedom convention where he was elected national chairman of YAF. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

PORTSMOUTH S U P P O R T E R

F ZEEBRUGGE F IJMUIDEN (AMSTERDAM) F NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NEWHAVEN F KIRKWALL F OSLO F LYSEKIL F COPENHAGEN

I N T E R V I E W

Y O U N G

“The decision to support YAF was no contest for us. So many other causes come and go. With YAF, there is an institutional impetus to boldly promote conservatism.”

A M E R I C A ’ S

F O U N D A T I O N

P R E S E N T S

The 2027 Cruise Portsmouth to Copenhagen

— RON DOCKSAI

Former Young America’s Foundation President Ron Robinson (right) presents Ron Docksai (left) with the YAF Alumni Award in 2019.

just gotten this check. They asked if it was for $5,000. I had to tell them a few times before they believed me that it was really for $50,000! Here was a case of someone who was inspired by what a group of young conservatives were doing. All of us with YAF—from different parts of the country and mostly from families who were not wealthy—were evangelical about our mission. That seemed to rub off on people. Libertas: In addition to your involvement as a YAF leader and alumnus, you and your wife, Nancy, have made the significant decision to endow the Docksai Leadership Fund through a legacy gift to YAF. What prompted you to make this decision? ————————————————————

Docksai: Soon after I became a YAF member, perhaps in 1965, I was invited

Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Fall 2026

by someone from the YAF national office to participate in a three-day training program. My roommate was David Keene, and we wondered why we had been invited to attend. Looking back on that experience, it was the first time either of us had been given real support by an organization. YAF taught us how to debate public policy and spread the conservative gospel. Nancy and I wholeheartedly believe in supporting this kind of work that YAF is continuing to do. YAF defined my life’s course, and we wish to provide that same experience for other young people in the future. I’ve graduated from several colleges, had some great professors, and taught at Georgetown University. But our educational institutions have done great wrongs. With YAF, on the other hand, the whole purpose is to proselytize

the values that Nancy and I hold dear. This is so important, particularly when much of our culture is still dominated by the Left. The decision to support YAF was no contest for us. So many other causes come and go. With YAF, there is an institutional impetus to boldly promote conservatism. We think Scott Walker is doing a terrific job of taking YAF to the next level. Libertas: What are your hopes for the future of YAF and the Conservative Movement? ————————————————————

Docksai: Conservatives have made inroads politically, but we still have a long way to go culturally. YAF is the key to changing this. For a successful organization, the important things are to have the right values, the right people, and the right support. YAF has these attributes, and it will be essential to building a cadre of young leaders who will positively influence others around them. ————————————————————

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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ollowing YAF’s Freedom at 250 rally at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, student activists, supporters, and alumni enjoy a patriotic fireworks display over the Potomac River.