A rising Junior at Northwestern University, I currently am interning at the Sams Adams Alliance.

Growing up in New Jersey, I regretfully admit to joining the neoconservative movement after 9/11. A little bit of education, common sense, and pragmatism (you’ll note that this is a recurring theme) brought me out of my shell in 2005 & 2006, freeing myself from the shackles of neoconservatism. I currently identify myself as the type of Republican who Americans thought they were electing in 1994. I am a libertarian who is socially conservative for secular and pragmatic purposes. I make this distinction because I find that current American conservative thought is largely driven by religion.

Over four years of competitive speech and debate has hardened me to see the world in terms of politics, policy, and pragmatism. Quite often, pragmatic solutions are also principled ones.

Evidence first, ideology second. Those who can’t make a reasoned argument in opposition of their own beliefs don’t actually know what they believe in.