It's been one month since the best four days of my summer has happened. June 12th-15th I attended Turning Point USA's Young Women's Leadership Summit in Dallas, Texas. I listened to great conservative speakers like Tomi Lahren, Aubrey Blakenship, Amanda Owens and Charlie Kirk. For four days I was told that conservative women could do ANYTHING because we were strong, smart and powerful without the government's help. I met hundreds of like-minded girls my age who had a passion for changing the face of the Conservative Movement and the world. YWLS was a life changing experience, so here are some of the most important things I learned that week:
1. Network
Advancement in life and politics (especially) are all about who you know and the resources you have available. At events talk to as many people you can because you never know, that girl you meet at a charity event might help you score that big internship. Even network via social media. Getting as many retweets and favorites as you can ensure that your message reaches more people and has a bigger impact.
2. Politics Is a Small World
A speaker told a story about an intern that had posted some questionable things on her Facebook page that a donor of the nonprofit the speaker worked for brought to the speaker's attention. Because of this anonymous donor's tip, the intern was fired. This just shows that you never know who is friends with your boss or your boss's boss, so be careful what you do/say in the world of politics. Also, be careful of the bridges you burn because you might want to cross them again.
3. Respect Those With Different Opinions
This advice stemmed from a girl in the audience who badgered a speaker. The speaker was pro marriage equality (something very controversial in the Republican party) and the audience member was not. During the speaker's Q&A she gave her honest opinion about marriage equality and it received a lot of applause. But, one girl in the front row didn't like that and raised her hand to "ask a question." The audience member didn't ask a question but instead told the speaker she was wrong because of a list of reasons. The speaker soon got very defensive because she took time out of her busy schedule to speak and didn't deserve to be spoken to like that. Moral of the story: it's okay to disagree but it just makes you look disrespectful when you are rude to someone else you disagree with.
4. Get Involved
A common theme within the speakers was their identification of what the left-sided politicians do right. In this case it would be the grassroots activism seen in the 2008 election. Democrats got people excited not by big speeches and press releases, but by going out and speaking to the people about the real issues that pertained to them. So, now the right has some catching up to do. That kind of grassroots activism is what the party needs and the only way to do it is to get involved.
5. It's OKAY to be Whoever You Are
Before this conference I had a hard time being who I wanted to be politically: a moderate conservative. I didn't like who the establishment liked and I was called a "RHINO" for who I liked. During the conference I heard a thousand times to embrace who you are because as republican women we are strong and smart. I heard from so many different people with different views, and that was encouraging. I saw that having different views from the majority doesn't make you more or less than anyone else. I learned that no matter my conservative views, there are people who shared my same opinions and those people would support me. It is OKAY to be whatever you want because that's what makes you, you.
Turning Point USA's Young Women's Leadership Summit taught me more than I ever thought it would. The summit allowed me to make friends from all over the country with different views. I listened to so many different people speak on more than just politics, but also on how to be successful in the workforce. I am thankful for my week there and am equally thankful for the opportunity TPUSA gave me!
For more about this amazing organization go to http://turningpointusa.net/
