There's a lot to be said about a first impression, but what about a last impression?For many of us who have a full-time job, the run up to Christmas is a wind-down period. For interns coming to the end of their semester, it's a time to solidify the strong reputation you have worked hard to build.Instead of focusing on the impending Christmas break, use these last couple of weeks to impress your supervisors. You never know when a vacancy will emerge or you need a reference.Here are some ways you can make a strong last impression.Ask for a final evaluationThis shows your boss you invest in your personal growth, and care about your work performance.The evaluation itself will also be very helpful for you professionally; it's a chance to hear what you do well and where you can improve in future. You can then take this knowledge to your next opportunity and improve any issues your boss addresses.via GIPHYComplete outstanding projectsJust because your time at your organization is coming to a close does not mean you should let your projects go unfinished.If you fail to finish your outstanding projects before your internship ends, you will leave a bad impression, and your boss won't thank you for the extra work. By completing those projects, you show your boss you are committed to your responsibilities as an intern.via GIPHYUtilize all opportunities at your organizationAt LI, all interns have access to free trainings. While they continue to enjoy this privilege for a year after their internship, some move home and can't take advantage of the opportunity. The smart interns go to as many trainings as they can in the last few weeks.If your organization offers similar perks -- holds events, meetings, visits -- take advantage of the opportunity now. It's a lot harder to do when you're not around.NetworkFollowing from the last tip, networking is the best opportunity you have during an internship.When you're out of sight, you're out of mind. It's far easier to build relationships when you're physically in the same city, so figure out who you want to stay in contact with after the internship and arrange one last meeting.Also look at whom you have not yet had an opportunity to meet within your organization and organize a lunch or coffee. While the department you interned in may not be hiring, another department could.Once you are confident in your relationships within your organization, look outside at the last few networking events and meet people at the organizations you hope to work for next.Thank youMake sure you take an opportunity to thank the people who have helped you during your internship. Writing personal cards to colleagues, in particular your supervisor, intern coordinator, department head, and President, is the best way to show appreciation for their efforts in your career.via GIPHYLastlyCongratulations on completing your internship! Enjoy your well-earned Christmas break and if LI can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out at resumes@leadershipinstitute.org.>

“Pack your bags, Sara. We're getting on a plane in 24 hours to make you the new Youth Director for the campaign.”It took a second for those words from my colleague at the Don Bacon for Congress campaign to sink in. Even now, I still can't believe it sometimes.Let me tell you about the journey you put me on — that helped a committed conservative and retired Air Force Brigadier General win election in a battleground district.God had a different plan When someone asked me why I would ever want to get involved in politics, my first answer was shocking. I didn't want to go into politics. I actually wanted to become a labor and delivery nurse, but obviously God had a different plan for me.As my freshman year at Creighton University in Nebraska came to a close, the former youth director on now-Congressman Don Bacon's campaign invited me to join the team. Intrigued, I told myself I would get my feet wet in campaigning, but nothing more.In a few weeks I was knee-deep in campaigning!LI's Youth Leadership School opens new doors Shortly after joining the Bacon campaign, the Leadership Institute's “boot camp of politics” — their Youth Leadership School — came to town in Omaha. At the school, I gained an abundance of knowledge I could use both on college campuses and on the campaign trail.After the two-day, intensive training session, the campaign asked me to fly to Arlington, Virginia to receive further training and become the new youth director on Don Bacon's campaign.In Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, the race was neck-and-neck with a Democrat incumbent congressman, Brad Ashford.Armed with Leadership Institute training, another youth coordinator and I quickly canvassed every major college campus in Nebraska's second district and organized students to volunteer and vote for Don Bacon.More than 150 students regularly volunteered on Don Bacon's campaign! Hundreds more pledged to vote for him.The Youth for Bacon groups we organized worked 11,300 man-hours for the campaign and knocked on more than 125,000 doors. The Congressman himself credits the Leadership Institute's practical, tried-and-true training with his victory.From youth coordinator to Institute intern — and beyond Following the Bacon victory, I received an invitation to intern at the Leadership Institute. After my amazing previous experience with LI, I knew this was an opportunity I could not turn down. As an LI intern, I grew leaps and bounds in both my career and personal life. I had the opportunity to rub elbows with the most influential leaders in the conservative movement.I worked as a true member of the Institute team, not just someone who makes copies and gets coffee. Through numerous networking and career opportunities, I landed my job at the National Right to Work Committee, where I lobbied for federal Right to Work legislation.Life-changing opportunities abound at the Leadership Institute The Leadership Institute changed my life. Without the LI training my colleagues and I brought to the campaign, Congressman Don Bacon would not have defeated a Democrat with a 60 percent favorability rating. Without LI, I would not be on a path to advance conservative principles nationwide. Without LI, I truly believe the left would have taken the majority in the House and the Senate.I know that I have found success by dint of my commitment and hard work, but I also know that were it not for the Leadership Institute, none of the opportunities I've had would've been possible.I'm so grateful to Morton Blackwell, to the Leadership Institute — and especially to donors like you whose support helps make this country great. Sara is now back in Nebraska. At just 20 years old, she continues her political career as the state-wide Field Director for Governor Pete Ricketts' reelection campaign. Please join the Leadership Institute in congratulating her on her excellent work advancing the conservative movement at such a young age.>

You may be wondering: “Should I apply for an internship in Washington, DC?”I was in the same boat fresh out of college. The options were vast, graduate school, part-time work, traveling, and more. At college, I postponed applying as so many do. Given the opportunity again, I'd do it differently.Many students go to college far away from their families; summer break, therefore, is a chance to spend some time with loved ones. However, summer is also the perfect time to get professional experience in D.C. If you are in your senior year and really would like to get your foot in the door, you can also apply for internships during the spring or the fall. You'll find about the same number of roles available, but organizations recieve a significantly smaller number of applications, and therefore spring and fall internships are less competitive.And you should know. It's competitive!Organizations like CATO, The Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, and the Leadership Institute receive vastly more applications than we have positions available.But if you take the process seriously, and do your research, there's no reason why you should fail.Here are five benefits of interning while you are still in college:1. Personal Development: Internships are about more than performing the responsibilities assigned. The best internships invest in people, teaching you professional skills, challenging you, and providing experiences that inspire you to want to succeed in your career. Even by applying you'll learn how to build your resume and prepare for an interview. On the job you'll learn how to write professional emails and speak in public. Those skills are essential and will help you much more in the long term than just listing an organization on your resume.2. Networking: D.C. is a city fueled by connections. If you are out of sight, you are out of mind. That is why interning while you are at college builds those solid relationships which will be so important when you graduate or apply for your next internship. 3. Freedom of expression: Take a break from liberals. If you are in college, chances are you are in the minority as a conservative. Many colleges act to suffocate open political discourse, and as a conservative, you are likely on the receiving end of leftist abuse. Come to intern in the conservative movement where your principles are valued, and you can learn to tackle leftist abuses on your campus.4. Discover your talents: Interning in D.C. is about gaining practical experience. It helps you confirm what you want to do, and what you do not. Many interns come to DC, and their internship confirms that they do indeed want to work on the Hill, for a think tank, or a non-profit. Others learn that it's not for them. Both lessons are equally valuable.5. Head start: The difference between the graduates who get a well-paying job out of college and those do not is internships. If you are forward thinking and you get that experience early, you will hit the ground running after graduation. If you do not, you will find yourself left behind. So which will it be?>

Dear fellow conservative, You may know that I cross breed and raise daylilies and send hundreds of daylily plants each year to Leadership Institute donors who have requested them. Now I have a problem that I ask you to help me solve. Each spring I carefully cross pollinate my most lovely and interesting daylily flowers to produce new varieties. I harvest the mature seeds in August and plant them in trays to grow through the winter in my office windows until all danger of frost is past. Then I plant the seedlings outside in flower beds. A year later, the new plants bloom, and I can give really fine ones to LI donors with descriptions of their flowers. The problem I hope you will help me solve is that last August so many seeds germinated that I have many more seedlings than I have room to plant in my flower beds. I've filled with new seedlings all the available flower beds, and I have hundreds of healthy, extraordinary seedlings that will die if not planted soon. They are extraordinary because each seedling has a complex ancestry from decades of my serious crossbreeding program. Each seedling is a new variety, and I have no idea what colors or flower designs a seedling will produce. Of course, I could just discard all the extra seedlings, but I would really, really hate to do that. Almost all of them will produce very fine flowers, and some of them will be spectacular. Each spring, I go to my flower beds and note the characteristics of my new varieties which bloom for the first time. I can't say that it's as exciting as when I first held in my arms my newborn son and my grandchildren. But it's somewhat analogous. So to keep from destroying these products of my decades of efforts, I'm asking you, if you possibly can, to adopt some of my seedlings. Daylilies are mostly grown outside in yards, but they will do well inside in pots by windows that get plenty of sunshine. Outside they require virtually no care; inside they need only occasional watering when the soil gets dry. Will you adopt some of this year's seedlings? I've personally prepared sealed plastic bags, each containing four seedlings, and written instructions as to how to plant them outside or in pots. They should be taken now and planted as soon as possible. If you have a yard or have friends with yards who will take some, or if perhaps you'll decide to grow them inside in pots, please see my executive assistant, Cathy Graham, after the breakfast. They will be given away in packets of four seedlings each along with planting instructions. Then next year, when the plants first bloom, you or your friends will have the satisfaction of seeing the blooms of your unique, new varieties of daylilies. Above are two of the many different colors and elegant flower designs that my seedlings have produced. Please help some of these seedlings to survive. Cordially, Morton To take advantage of Morton Blackwell's daylily offer, sign up for the April 5, 2017 Wednesday Wakeup Club Breakfast and talk with Cathy Graham after the breakfast.

A few days ago, LI president Morton Blackwell told me that when he was a college student at LSU, he and his friends heard Milton Friedman was available to speak for free at Morton's campus group. They were eager to bring such a distinguished intellectual to their university! This “free,” of course, meant he wouldn't charge any amount for himself, but the hosts would have to pay the travel and accommodation costs. In the end, there was no free Friedman.One of the most famous Milton Friedman quotes states, “there is no such thing as a free lunch,” an ironic response to the tremendous demand for “free stuff” by the socialists he debated. The phrase meant that no government program is free. The taxpayer always pays (an expensive bill) in the end.The first time I heard this quote, I was an 18-year-old college freshman at the University of Brasilia back in Brazil, my home country. I was taking an Introduction to Economics class, and the professor repeated the quote while explaining the foundations of microeconomics. That stuck in my mind. I was not a socialist, but I believed that more government intervention – more of the right intervention – could work. I thought that because I always looked at the benefits of government programs while ignoring the costs. That quote changed everything. From that day on, I would always remember that there was no free lunch, and government programs cost too much and deliver too little.In the last two weeks, I have finished re-reading Milton Friedman's book Capitalism and Freedom, as part of my LI internship book discussion program. I felt the passion my friends and I expressed during the debate over the need for more school choice and less occupational licensing regulations in the US. Friedman was part of my freshman year in college and now is part of my freshman year as a young professional in DC. His ideas are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them.They are relevant not only in the US but also in Brazil. So relevant that Folha de Sao Paulo, the #1 national newspaper in Brazil – read by more than 20 million people every month – published an editorial within the last few weeks that has a title inspired by Friedman's quote. The article, a harsh critique on excessive regulations on airline companies, also mentions Friedman's quote in both the introduction and conclusion.Friedman won the Nobel Prize, advised President Regan, wrote best-sellers, made a TV series about economic freedom with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now serves as inspiration for us at the Leadership Institute (LI) and even for big newspapers. Not bad at all, right?Morton always says: “In politics, nothing moves unless pushed.”Friedman pushed. Now LI keeps pushing.>

The conservative movement is formidable -- why? Because we're a family.Our organizations work together, share ideas, collaborate on events, and promote each other's staff and interns. Anybody who works in the movement will be able to list their many friends in think tanks, non-profits, lobby groups, and on the Hill.And, like any family… we have our challenges. We don't always cooperate the way we should, and we don't always speak with one voice. But we have a common purpose, and it drives us in the same direction.If the conservative movement is a family, then CPAC is Christmas dinner. The time when we all come together to catch up with old friends, celebrate our victories, commiserate our losses, trade ideas, network, and discover new opportunities. In this blog, I want to talk to you about the opportunities at CPAC, because CPAC is about so much more than big speeches, and selfies with members of Congress. CPAC is a chance to learn new skills! The Leadership Institute will run a Campus Activism Bootcamp, to teach you the core skills to fight liberal bias on campuses, draw attention to your activism, create student groups, change policy, and expose biased professors.Top lawyers will teach you the laws of academic freedom so you know when your rights to freedom of expression are breached. You will also learn how to draw attention to your activism and events through digital and social media efforts that have made many conservatives famous, and also given a platform for ideas mainstream media won't discuss. In addition, the Leadership Institute will run a Career Bootcamp to give you the skills you need to secure your next job or promotion in the movement. Learn to network with top conservatives, boost your resume, and stand-out at interviews.There will also be panel discussions with major recruiters from the movement, private sector, and beyond. Those of you serious about your futures should not miss out on this chance to question them and learn what you can do to work in the movement.To help you with your current job search… the Leadership Institute will be running Career and Resume Consultations throughout CPAC. Come find us!A few things to remember:Don't neglect ‘horizontal networking.' By this, I mean networking with people who are at the same professional level as you are. They are future leaders; they are also your connection to partner organizations who can help you in your endeavors.Get your business cards ready, and make sure you follow up with every person you meet. You never know whose recommendation will secure your next opportunity.Also, CPAC's true opportunities are waiting for you outside of the main conference hall. Go to as many lunches as you can manage, and as many after conference dinners as possible.The best networking happens in relaxed environments.CPAC is also a place to learn new skills and ideas. Go to the panel discussions, and learn from the experts in the areas of policy you agree with, and those you don't. CPAC is a chance to broaden your mind!The movement is growing, and CPAC is a great opportunity to put your foot on the door. Morton Blackwell, says in his Laws of the Public Policy: “Never miss a political meeting if you think there's the slightest chance you'll wish you'd been there.”This is one event you're not going to want to miss.I look forward to meeting you at what promises to be an eventful CPAC 2017!Find out more about Leadership Institute's six CPAC events at LeadershipInstitute.org/CPAC. Register for CPAC here.>

Rioters on UC Berkeley's campus shut down a student club's speaker event, setting fires and causing damage."This is not an isolated incident," said Cabot Phillips, a Leadership Institute reporter for Campus Reform, discussing the Berkeley Riots on Fox Business. Watch as Cabot discusses the dangerous tactics leftist protestors are using to silence speech they disagree with.Many Americans are asking when university officials and government authorities will stop campus violence and protect free speech. Leadership Institute's Campus Reform has been covering the riots and subsequent attacks on conservative students. "This is first class work by Cabot Phillips and our Campus Correspondent at UC Berkeley," said Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell.Follow this story and more like it at CampusReform.org as #liberalprivilege thugs terrorize colleges and universities. >

Student groups can struggle with a balance between recruitment and activism. The Young Americans for Liberty chapter at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities tackled both when they hosted a successful free speech ball event. They interacted with nearly 200 people and informed them about the free speech rights students have and about unconstitutional speech policies on their campus. The group also successfully signed up several new members to expand their group. Your campus group can bring similar events to campus. Contact your Regional Field Coordinator to get started on hosting your own activism and recruitment event.>

When you're faced with unconstitutional policy on your campus, it can be overwhelming to find a line of attack. The students in the California Freedom Project at California State University in Northridge, a group which works to advance free market and constitutional principles, used their Leadership Institute training to draw attention to the unconstitutional speech code on their campus. In addition to a successful free speech ball activism event, the group also started a petition campaign calling for the end of the policy requiring a permit to distribute literature and for the 23-campus California State University system to remove such restrictions. The petition received more than 130 signatures during the activism event. The Leadership Institute can help you and your campus group with activism events and provide the training and the resources you need to succeed. Contact your Field Representative today to learn how the Leadership Institute can help you.>

When you experience liberal bias on your campus, finding a way to expose it can be a challenge. Resident Assistants at Binghamton University in New York came face to face with that bias during their training when one of the breakout sessions was entitled #StopWhitePeople2K16. Binghamton Review, the school's conservative newspaper, broke the story and asked school administrators about the training. School administrators initially stood by the name of the training. But, thanks to the hard work of the journalist at the Binghamton Review, the story was featured on the Leadership Institute's Campus Reform, the Drudge Report, Fox News, and was trending on social media. Shortly after, the school apologized for the name of the training. When liberal bias strikes your campus will you be ready? You can submit stories to the Leadership Institute's Campus Reform and get paid, or you can start your own conservative student publication. Contact your LI Regional Coordinator to learn how to bring the Conservative Student Publication Training to your school today.>

At the beginning of each semester, your goal is to reach as many new students as possible. A great way to do that is to host a week of activism. Students at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque kicked off the fall semester when several conservative groups formed a coalition on campus to further conservative principles. Young Americans for Freedom and Young Americans for Liberty both requested activism kits through the Leadership Institute and put on a week of activism. The week started with a 9/11 memorial, and then moved into activism projects which highlighted liberal bias and unconstitutional policies on their campus, from free speech to “PC” Police Activism Kit. The Leadership Institute's trained Field Representatives are ready to help you and your organization host one activism project or a week of activism projects. Contact your Field Representative today to learn more.>

Conservative students are routinely harassed and attacked for their views. This environment can make starting a dialog on the issues difficult.Students for Life at the Ohio State University celebrated #GreatDay2BeAlive by encouraging people to share why they were glad to be alive on their giant beach ball. This fun and inviting activism event resulted in great dialog about the right to life with over 150 people. Leadership Institute Field Representatives are equipped to help conservative groups put on successful events, like the one at Ohio State. Contact your Field Representative today to learn how they can help you.>

Your next activism event can be just what it takes to turn the tide and eliminate unconstitutional policy on your campus. When Students for Concealed Carry at the University of South Alabama organized an empty holster protest with the goal of highlighting the school's unconstitutional policy, the activism event was so successful the students were charged with violating the school weapons policy. When this unconstitutional treatment garnered national attention, the school was forced to drop the charges and offer an official apology for blatantly violating students' rights. As a result of Students for Concealed Carry at the University of South Alabama and their empty holster protest, the school is now closer to eliminating their unconstitutional policy which denies students the right to defend themselves. Your Leadership Institute Field Representative is ready to help you organize an activism event on your campus today. Contact them about fighting back against your school's liberal bias and unconstitutional policy.>

Good for you! D.C. is excited to have you here because, if we're truly honest with ourselves, those of us in the non-profit sector, think tanks, and on the Hill depend upon you to keep our organizations running. I was in your shoes. I have been an intern more than once, starting a new adventure in a strange land.Many thoughts went through my head in the weeks leading up to my internship at the Leadership Institute. What if I can't find my accommodation on the first day? What if I'm not as smart as I thought? What if, what if…I've been there. Trust me, you will be great.I want to use this last blog before Christmas to remind you of a few things which I hope will allow you to enjoy your Christmas and be excited to begin the New Year in Washington, D.C.Most importantly, enjoy Christmas! I know it sounds obvious, but this is your last chance to rest, spend time with your family, and enjoy home comforts before you get to D.C. The first couple of months in the New Year are busy. Catching up on work after Christmas, networking events, and not to mention CPAC! You will have to be prepared to work hard, so don't exhaust yourself by stressing out now.You will be trained. I know you want to come in and prove yourself from day one. Remember that even your CEO was a beginner once. We all need some practice to become good at our jobs. Your bosses are used to having interns and will provide you with a basic level of training on how to use relevant software and databases, speak to stakeholders, produce reports, etc. You should always strive to be the best, but remember that you will be forgiven for gaps in your knowledge.D.C. may be big, but it's friendly. Big cities are daunting. Coming from a small, industrial town in the heart of England, D.C. was another world to me. But D.C. is a fluid city. The vast majority of people who live and work here are away from home too. You're not alone. Everyone in D.C. wants new friends, and you will find it easy to meet new people who share your political values, and your hobbies, which leads nicely onto my next point.Events! D.C. is a lively city; there is always something going on. Whether it's a stimulating debate at Heritage or CATO, a training at the Leadership Institute, or a drinks reception, you'll never be without something to do. Also, a little tip, you can eat for free most days in D.C., and many events have open bars. Take your business cards and go meet some new people. Finally, there are ways you can plan ahead now:Send your supervisors an introductory email or, better yet, call them! Tell them a little about yourself, what you'd like to get out of the internship, and ask them any questions. Trust me, this will impress your new boss and eliminate any initial anxieties.Research, research, research! Make sure you know your organization, its mission, and find out what your initial responsibilities will be. Then you can prepare in advance. Also, research some events and networking opportunities taking place when you arrive. Then you will hit the ground running.Get business cards printed. In fact, stop reading and go do it right now!Ask how to contact your fellow interns, set up a Facebook group, and get to know them.There is plenty more I can say, but I want to end where I began. You will be great. Just work hard and make the most of your time here. And if we can help in your career, let Leadership Institute is here for you. Come to one of our trainings or call for a free career consultation. We'd love to meet you.Merry Christmas!Ben Woodward works with Leadership Institute's Conservative Jobs. You can contact LI for a free career consultation and get career help on ConservativeJobs.com.>

Activism events are a great way for your group to grow its membership and share your message on campus. Earlier this month at Middle Tennessee State University, the Turning Point USA group worked with their Leadership Institute Field Representative to hold a free speech ball event on campus, which started the conversation on campus about safe spaces. As a result of the activism events, the student senate voted overwhelmingly to oppose all future creations of safe spaces on campus, and actively work to remove safe spaces on the campus. Students at Louisiana State University used a free speech ball to get over 200 signatures in support of unregulated free speech and ending the campuses “Free Speech Ally.” The signatures were sent to the student government who will now take up the issue. Your Leadership Institute Field Representative is able to help you organize activism projects which can help you change unconstitutional policy on your campus. Contact your Field Representative today to get started.>

You can feel alone when fighting back against unconstitutional policy on your campus. Activism events are a great way to find other likeminded students and call out these unconstitutional policies.Students at Oregon State University held a free speech ball event and found support from students on their campus. From football players to professors, people were getting involved and signing the free speech ball to support free speech on campus. By the end of the day, they had received over 150 signed petitions in support of free speech and had numerous students show interest in joining their club. Your Leadership Institute Field Representative is ready to help you and your club organize an activism event that highlights liberal bias and unconstitutional policy on your campus. Contact your Field Representative today.>

Students at Arkansas Tech face some of the most restrictive unconstitutional free speech codes in the country. That didn't stop students in the Young Americans for Liberty chapter from reaching out to the Leadership Institute and hosting a free speech ball outside of their designated “free speech zones.” When officers approached the students, informing them they were in violation of the school's speech code policy, the students recorded the incident. The Students were told that the school's policy trumped the First Amendment right to free speech guaranteed in the Constitution. In addition to the story being picked up by numerous media outlets, Young Americans for Liberty at Arkansas Tech teamed up with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to eliminate some of the most restrictive speech codes on a public campus in the nation. Your Leadership Institute Field Representative is ready to help you fight back against your school's liberal bias and unconstitutional policies. Contact your Field Representative today to learn how to bring an activism event to your campus.>

As a conservative student on a college campus it can feel like you are all alone. Even when you join a conservative group, the task of fighting back against a school administrator's unconstitutional policy or liberal bias can be frightening. At Clemson University, conservative student groups have come together to form a coalition -- WeRoar -- to fight back. The coalition consists of Clemson's Turning Point USA and Young American for Liberty chapters, in addition to a conservative school newspaper, the Tiger Town Observer.Co-founder Clayton Warnke describes the goal of WeRoar to “effectively target the encroachment of our liberties, especially as they pertain to the first amendment, by streamlining our collective efforts into a simple message to attract broad support from the student body and community alike.”These conservative student groups mobilized their forces to tackle the unconstitutional restrictive free speech policies when school administrators attempted to shut down a man praying with students; WeRoar organized a protest. The Leadership Institute's Campus Reform also covered the story. As a result, WeRoar has been working with school administrators and student government to remove the unconstitutional speech codes on their campus. Due to the success of WeRoar at Clemson, members are excited to help conservative students at the University of South Carolina in forming a campus coalition of their own, WeSpur, to fight against liberal bias and unconstitutional policies on their campus.The WeRoar Coalition is also working to expand to other campuses.If your group is interested in starting a similar coalition and increasing your group's membership, contact your Leadership Institute Field Coordinator today.>

A healthy conservative student group can be difficult to maintain. With students naturally leaving every year, recruitment is key to your conservative group's success. Every semester thousands of new students come to campus, and your student group should make an effort to reach out to those students. The Young Conservatives of Texas at Texas Tech started the semester with a bang. To start the year, they held a Remembering 9-11 event. They also hosted a free speech ball activism event and a “PC” police activism event, along with a Turning Point USA group. These events have resulted in hundreds of new signups of potential members. The Young Conservatives of Texas at Texas Tech capped it off by hosting Milo Yiannopoulos for his college tour. Over 400 students attended. To learn how to host these kinds of events on your campus contact me or your Regional Field Coordinator.>

The Leadership Institute's Campus Reform continues to be a roaring success as it celebrates an award-winning and record-breaking month. Three Campus Reform staff members received internal and external recognition of their excellent work.The numbers alone are superb. So far in 2016, Campus Reform reports of liberal bias and abuse on college campuses created media pressure which resulted in 28 conservative campus victories. Campus Reform staff and student contributors also discussed stories in television interviews 108 times, and the Drudge Report featured 24 stories.Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Sterling Beard was named LI's employee of the quarter, due to the success of the project.“Sterling has shown outstanding leadership managing a Campus Reform staff who continue to break records and expand the site's media presence and influence,” said Morton Blackwell when he announced Sterling's award.Red Alert Politics also honored two additional Campus Reform staff members in its 2016 30 Under 30 list: Campus Reform's Program Coordinator, Laura Falcon, and the Leadership Institute's Director of Campus Outreach, Cabot Phillips.Laura Falcon primarily manages the Campus Correspondent Program, which recruits and cultivates conservative student journalists across the country to investigate and report liberal bias and abuse for Campus Reform. She's recruited 64 Campus Correspondents so far this year.“Every morning, I ask myself, ‘Who can I help and how?”' Laura told Red Alert Politics.Cabot Phillips, Director of Campus Outreach at the Leadership Institute, regularly appears on Fox News, Newsmax, and One America News Network to discuss Campus Reform stories.Cabot helped spearhead a successful social media campaign for LI's Campus Leadership Program and successfully got LI's #LiberalPrivilege hashtag trending on Twitter twice, on October 12 and October 19. The #LiberalPrivilege Twitter blitz encouraged conservative students to highlight the special treatment given to liberals on campus and throughout the country.The hashtag went viral. Within two hours, #LiberalPrivilege was trending nationally, and was used 66,520 times in seven days, appearing to more than 6 million Twitter users. The trending hashtag was covered by USA Today, MTV, and the Media Research Center.It's clear that much of Campus Reform's extraordinary success is due to its extraordinary people and the Leadership Institute's donors. Congratulations to the entire team for keeping The Leadership Institutes's Campus Reform America's #1 site for campus news.>