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HSLS: Inside Exclusive (Pt. 2)

Written By: Mikayla P.


THE PERSPECTIVE OF MIKAYLA P:


With over 1,300 campuses impacted and 95,000 student contacts, Turning Point USA is leading one of the largest young conservative developments. On July 23rd, Turning Point hosted the High School Leadership Summit, the largest conservative conference in history. With 800+ attendees and over 80 speakers, it was an educational and informative event for all.

Not only did high school students from across America join, but some international students as well. In addition, Turning Point gave full scholarships to those who attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The students who attended MSD were some of the most kind-hearted, intelligent, brave, and caring people I have ever met. Not only this, but they were respected by everyone attending the conference, we can’t say that for everybody in D.C.

The first day of conference line up was remarkable, we heard opening remarks from Charlie Kirk and Kyle Kashuv, followed by speeches from Ambassador Nikki Haley, Nigel Farage, Andrew Pollack, and so many more. Reminder, this was just the beginning of the conference. Before all of this, I met my incredible roommates, with whom I have become very close with, as well as several friends whom I am hoping to stay in contact with. It was refreshing to see high school students in business casual attire, it was almost as if we already had our positions in Washington D.C.

Day two of the conference, the line up was even better! We had the opportunity to hear from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a school safety panel with Guy Benson, Hunter Pollack, and JT Lewis, Mark Cuban, Jesse Watters, and so many more. By 2:25 PM our caffeine wore off, but the Mark Cuban and Charlie Kirk debate got us energized again. They had a civilized debate where they talked about health care, climate change, business, and so much more. It was incredible! Another speaker who got the crowd on their feet was, of course, Jesse Watters. His famous catchphrase, “I’m Watters, and this is my world,” was said, and for a short time, we were all in his world. Not only was Watters there, but we were also graced with Kellyanne Conway’s presence.

Later that day, the Donald Trump Jr. dinner was hosted at Trump International Hotel. First of all, have you seen that hotel? It’s beautiful, no joke, the wet floor signs were gold. As we all walked into the hotel, the ambiance was stunning, there were beautiful chandeliers, and the sides of the room were mirrored. We were served wedge salad, rosemary chicken, and a delicious dessert. Everyone was dressed to the nines with black and white suits for the gentleman, and gorgeous cocktail dresses for the ladies. At the dinner, Charlie Kirk, Senator Rand Paul, Candace Owens, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Donald Trump Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle spoke. They all had something remarkable to say, and the media was there to report some of it. CNN, New York Times and several other news outlets were there. Sadly, CNN shut their cameras down about thirty minutes into the dinner, which confirms what the President has been saying all along, we all witnessed it.

On day three, Charlie Kirk, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Eric Bolling, Anthony Scaramucci, Kyle Kashuv, Rabbi Shmuley, Secretary DeVos, Peter Thiel, and many more spoke. Every speaker gave remarkable wisdom, but one I will not forget is Eric Bolling. He talked about the tragedy that struck his family when he suffered the loss of his son. Eric told us to keep going during the hard times and to seize the moments in life and gave us a talk on how valuable life truly is. Rabbi Shmuley is somebody that the crowd gave at least five standing ovations for. He gave a speech on the value of morals, integrity, and religion. As a Christian, hearing things from a Jewish standpoint was truly enlightening.

To wrap up day three, Benny Johnson hosted a game night! There was comedy, food, and most importantly, the game. The game focused on current political quotes and such, and I was chosen as a contestant. To my surprise, and a lot of stress later, I won the round! I won a hat signed by Charlie Kirk and Kyle Kashuv and even got to have a conversation with the man himself, Benny Johnson. It’s safe to say everyone had fun despite the rain. The hat is currently living right across from my desk in a safe place, and it is something I will treasure.

The final day got off to a rocky start for my roommates and I. We all had our alarms set, and none of them went off! We all rushed to get packed and ready to go and made it in decent timing. The speakers that day were Senator Orrin Hatch, Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Jaco Booyens, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Candace Owens, and more! The speakers that intrigued all of us were Jaco Booyens, Dr. Gorka, and of course, Candace Owens. Dr. Gorka dabbed on stage while talking about leadership and how to handle things life throws your way. Jaco Booyens talked about his experience with human trafficking and how it has impacted his family. Finally, Candace Owens spoke about her story, and how to handle being a conservative the classy way.

Finally, the time came where we would all go our separate ways again. I said goodbye to my roommates and went home. My experience at HSLS was nothing short of spectacular. Whenever Kyle Kashuv would walk on stage, the following was shouted, “Kyyyylleee! You’re a snack!” All of the speakers were humble and contributed to our knowledge. I asked Turning Point what their favorite moment was, and here is something that the Events Coordinator, Lauren Toncich said, “The overall turnout was incredible and much more than we originally anticipated. The fact that so many students are energized and interested in politics at such a young age is amazing to see. Our staff feels that they're truly making a difference.”

One final thing I took away from the conference was simple: everyone has a voice, and it is up to you how you use it. America is by far, the greatest country, and I am proud to be an American. Through Turning Point, young people have found their voice and are using it with good intentions. I want to thank everyone at Turning Point for making HSLS possible, it was truly life changing.



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