NeW Leader, Chloe Sparwath, shares about her experience attending the 2021 Heritage Foundation Resource Bank.

Why did you apply for this program?
Each year, The Heritage Foundation hosts its Resource Bank conference. At this event, the country’s most prominent conservative leaders, policy experts, and media voices come together to strategize and plan for promoting conservative ideas in the United States for the upcoming year. The conference hosts seminars and panels about policy, political?? theory, and current events.

While many of the Resource Bank attendees are professionals, The Heritage Foundation also runs a program called Rising Leaders for college students and young professionals. This year, I was fortunate enough to be nominated to attend by NeW’s Founder, Karin Lips. I attended the 2021 Resource Bank as a Rising Leaders Fellow along with Grace Ogden, another NeW chapter leader. The event took place in Austin, Texas, and was one of the most educational experiences of my college career. I can’t thank Karin Lips and The Heritage Foundation enough.

What was the conference like?
At the conference, I heard from leaders such as Senator Ted Cruz; Kay Coles James, President of The Heritage Foundation; and Mark Meckler, founder of the Tea Party Movement and former Parler CEO. I learned about issues such as border security, big tech, and human trafficking.

What was your favorite part?
Through the Rising Leaders track, I was also able to take a short series of classes with accomplished economic professors and then discuss what I learned with my peers. Overall, the event was incredible, and I was extremely lucky to attend.

How has NeW prepared you for this opportunity?
NeW has taught me how to properly interact with political professionals. At Resource Bank, I was able to get to know and network with leaders in the political field, and I felt confident speaking to them because of my background with NeW.

Advice to women who get the chance to attend a conference?
Do not be afraid to introduce yourself to professionals—at one point they were in your shoes and most of them want to help young people. Be polite, confident, and ask questions. Be genuine and listen to what they have to say.