Public Policy Fellows Seek to Define American Character Through Weekend of Civil Dialogue
What does it mean to be an American? Is there a common, unifying factor that defines American character today? Through spirited debate, tours of Gettysburg Battlefield and discussing the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln, the 2019-20 TFAS Public Policy Fellows explored key points in American history to answer these questions and more during a weekend retreat in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Fellow Rachelle Engen, PPF ’19, the Educational Choice Fellow for Institute for Justice, called the weekend awe-inspiring and eye-opening.
“This weekend has given us the opportunity to really dive into these issues of when America was at a turning point,” Engen said. “It’s interesting because some might say our country is almost at a turning point again today. It’s important to look back at the Declaration, the Constitution and Lincoln’s ideas for America to really understand the America that we know today.”
To learn more about the year-long TFAS Public Policy Fellowship program and their weekend retreat, visit TFAS.org/PPFRetreatFall19.
Remembering Vice Chairman Mike Thompson Sr.
TFAS leadership held a memorial luncheon in honor of our late Vice Chairman Mike Thompson Sr. in Colorado Springs on Saturday, Oct. 26.
TFAS Chairman Randal C. Teague and Mike’s son, TFAS alumnus Mike Thompson Jr. ’89, ’93, led the tribute sharing stories of how Mike led his life with love and worked tirelessly to serve his God, country, family and organizations like TFAS that shared his worldview that “liberty and responsibility were the best cornerstones that a nation could be built on.”
Mike Thompson Jr. told the room of TFAS leadership that they and the organization were close to his father’s heart until the very end.
“He was absolutely committed to the TFAS mission, but it was more than that,” said Mike Jr. “He loved and was committed to the people here. He valued every minute he was able to spend with you. He thought he learned something every time, and that each meeting made him a better person.”
Mike made TFAS a better organization and we will continue his legacy by always asking ourselves, “what would Mike have said?”
The luncheon was generously sponsored by El Pomar Foundation in Mike’s memory. To read more about the many life accomplishments of our vice chairman and the legacy he left behind, visit TFAS.org/Thompson.
Alumni Roundtable Dinner Provides TFAS Students with Networking Opportunities
Successful D.C. alumni returned to TFAS Headquarters on Oct. 23 to share their career advice and networking tips with TFAS Capital Semester on Leadership + the American Presidency students during an Alumni Roundtable dinner.
From U.S. Congress to government affairs organizations, TFAS alumni continue to make their mark not only in the D.C. professional world, but across the globe. Many alumni say TFAS gave them the necessary relationship-building skills to develop a network with potential employers.
“I ended up with the job I currently have at Stateside Associates thanks to TFAS,” Edgar Velasco ’18 told students. “What TFAS does for you is not just about taking a class or getting a job. It’s about allowing you to connect with people who are resources and allowing you to be a resource of value to them.”
To read more about our fall TFAS Alumni Roundtable dinner, visit TFAS.org/ARFall19.
TFAS Presents 2019 Alumni Achievement Award
The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) was pleased to present Kyle Hybl ’91, ’93, president and CEO of El Pomar Foundation, with the 2019 TFAS Alumni Achievement Award during our Leadership Retreat in Colorado Springs, Colorado last weekend.
Since 1967, The Fund for American Studies has been teaching freedom’s first principles of democracy and free enterprise to college students from around the United States and the world. I am grateful for the work of Roger Ream and his entire team at the fund for over 50 years dedicated to teaching the principles of limited government, free market economics and honorable leadership.”– Kyle Hybl ’91, ’93 in Colorado Politics
To read about Hybl’s achievements and the award, visit TFAS.org/AlumniAwardsFall19.
Post of the Week
Quick Links
Jennifer Kabbany, Novak ’02, of The College Fix and Robby Soave, Novak ’17, of Reason were part of a RealClearEducation panel that surveyed campus speech experts on the best and worst schools for free speech and viewpoint diversity.
Carmen Geha ’08, a professor of public administration at the American University of Beirut, is quoted in a New Yorker piece on “The Making of Lebanon’s October Revolution,” saying that the wildfires that burned more than three thousand acres of trees outside of Beirut gave the people “a very visible and tangible failure to target their anger and disgust with the government.”
Matthew Walther, Novak ’16, writes about the decline of childhood literacy in America for The Week.
High school program participant Nathan Lee ’19 is featured in his hometown magazine, Cypress Lifestyle, for participating in our FTE Economics for Leaders program at Wake Forest University this summer.
Andrew Cline, Novak ’98, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, presents data from his organization’s new report on a drop in New Hampshire state employee union memberships following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Janus vs. AFCSME last year.
Checking out the Fall issue of @TFASorg Liberty + Leadership News featuring our very own Edgar Velasco! pic.twitter.com/W7hx6uIh4z
— Stateside Associates (@StatesideAssoc) October 24, 2019
TFAS Trustee Fred Barnes opines in The Wall Street Journal this week on why Virginia politics are leaning more left in recent years.
Haley Britzky ’16 writes for Task & Purpose about a U.S. Army sergeant who earned a Medal of Honor for dedication to “hellacious” Afghan battle.
Oriana Pawlyk ’10 reports for Military.com on the U.S. Air Force’s new Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal for airmen who serve in cyber, space, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and remote piloted aircraft jobs.
Dr. Deganit Paikowsky ’04 was appointed as vice president of the International Astronautical Federation, a leading Paris-based space advocacy organization.
Shai Oster, Novak ’00, reports for The Information on soars in Chinese cryptocurrency stocks following President Xi Jinping’s endorsement of blockchain technology.
Curt Mills, Novak ’18, opines on the viability of Sen. Warren’s candidacy for The American Conservative.
Christine Emba, Novak ’18, writes for The Washington Post on new research showing that millennials are drifting away from religion.
Bill Wirtz ’17 writes for the American Thinker on the U.S. China trade war, and what economic tension means for Tesla.
Hadley Smithhisler ’19 was named Monmouth College’s Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Daily Review Atlas reports on this addition to Smithhisler’s many accomplishments, including her 2019 summer with TFAS.
Leah Libresco Sargeant, Novak ’18, reviews Will Arbery’s off-broadway play “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” in The American Interest.
Michael Brendan Dougherty, Novak ’09, says “Warren’s Socialism for the Upper-Middle Class Is Awful — and Conservatives Need a Better Alternative,” in a piece for the National Review.
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, writes about former House Speaker Paul Ryan’s new nonprofit focused on poverty and economic policy in The Washington Times.
Rossita Kavaldzhieva ’18 interviews TFAS professor and alumnus Paul Glader ’99, ’00 for Bulgarian National Radio, The discussion includes talk of the TFAS European Journalism Institute, co-sponsored by The Media Project.
Aaron Kasonde ’19 has been selected to participate in Project Arizona 2020, a program organized by fellow alumnus Jacek Spendel ’08, ’09.
Melanie Benit ’14, ’15, PPF ’18, of the Institute for Justice, is quoted in an article highlighting the battle that property owners in Charlestown, Indiana, are facing to keep from being ousted from their homes.
Faysai Itani ’03, ’06, a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council, writes about what makes the October protests in Lebanon different than before in report for the Foreign Policy Research Institute.