The NRA Foundation is celebrating #GivingTuesday 2018 by supporting the NRA’s Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) with its fundraising campaign. Leading up to the big day on November 27, tune in each Tuesday to learn more about some of the passionate young advocates for freedom who have attended Y.E.S as we highlight their applications and impact stories. We hope you’ll think of these leaders when making your #GivingTuesday donation—100 percent of your contribution will go to NRA’s Youth Education Summit Scholarship Fund.
Entry into the Y.E.S. program requires the submission of a rigorous and in-depth application, including a high school transcript, a three-page essay on the Second Amendment, three letters of recommendation and a one page personal statement. The personal statement is where applicants have the opportunity to demonstrate their motivation for attending, their passion for the program’s goals, and their dedication to Leading the Legacy of freedom. The inspiring statement below comes from 2018 Y.E.S. participant Adrik Fisher's application.
INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE PAYS THE BEST INTEREST
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Never leave that ‘til tomorrow which you can do today.” This is excellent advice, as I am two and a half years away from being a legal adult. It occurs to me that the fights for personal freedom and liberty being fought now will soon be my generation’s responsibility. Because of this, I realize the importance of learning all that I can about our government, the Constitution, and the rights and liberties protected therein.
Politics and government have fascinated me since I was quite young. When I was 10, I convinced my 27-year-old aunt, who had never voted before, to vote. She took me along to the polls and allowed me to help her vote. My parents helped me research this issues and complete a sample ballot to take along.
For the past year, I have participated in my county’s Republican Party Central Committee meetings. Some members of that organization and I are discussing the possibility of creating a youth Republican committee for our county’s teens. This potential organization would provide an incredible platform for me to promote the NRA and the Y.E.S. program. Actively participating in our local governmental processes has taught me so much more than could ever be learned in books or a classroom. It is my hope that participation in Y.E.S. will provide me with ideas and suggestions for our local committees and help me to grow in confidence and ability to eventually become a leader in those types of local groups.
"A chance to learn about our country and our Second Amendment rights in Washington D.C. is a truly unique and valuable opportunity." As a homeschool student from a single-income home, a chance to learn about our country and our Second Amendment rights in Washington D.C. is a truly unique and valuable opportunity that I would not otherwise have. Although I’ve previously attended student legislatures and other conventions which covered state and local government, I am very excited at the possibility of the Y.E.S. program and the whole new perspective it will give me about government at the federal level.
The Second Amendment and the protection it gives us are very important to my family and me. Hailing from rural, southwestern Idaho, our family raises sheep and chickens, and we spend much of our recreational time in the gorgeous mountains which surround us. We have exercised our right to bear arms for hunting trips in the mountains, to rid our five-acre property of destructive rodents, and to protect our much-loved livestock from coyotes and trespassers.
"I should be selected for this year’s Y.E.S. program because government and constitutionally protected rights are my passion." Because of these reasons I will be a highly motivated student—attentive and ready to learn. It would be my purpose to learn as much as I could and to be an excellent representative of the youth of the great state of Idaho. In short, it is my belief that I should be selected for this year’s Y.E.S. program because government and constitutionally protected rights are my passion. My future career goals include political science and the opportunity to serve in an elected position.
From Y.E.S., I hope to take away a greater knowledge of individual rights and the government’s role in protecting them, and the skills and ability to defend those rights. Benjamin Franklin also said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” With sincerity and hope, I ask you to involve me in the Y.E.S. program, and I promise you that I will learn.
The NRA Foundation is participating in the global #GivingTuesday campaign to help raise funds for Y.E.S. To donate, please visit friendsofnra.org/GivingTuesday.