​Growing up, I had no real political beliefs to speak of. I went to school, read the text books my teachers gave me, and questioned very little. To be honest, I was more concerned about whether or not I would flunk Spanish than who was being nominated to any congressional seat in Florida. This trend continued until I reached college. There I was, sitting in a required government class finally learning what I should have known all along— that government, politics, and policy play an integral part in everyday life.
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Bit by bit, I exposed myself to as much information as possible, trying to hammer out where I stood on the political spectrum. That was when I realized to my millennial horror that I was . . . conservative. It couldn’t be. Conservatives were old, white, entitled, rich guys, or so I was told. After a few moments to collect myself I came to an even bigger realization, I was proud of it. Being conservative didn’t define me as a person, but it is a part of who I am. I believe that the government has grown too big and regulates too much, that a strong defense of our country is vital, and that peace is achieved through strength. Finally, I believe in the founding principles that were solidified not just by one term of a presidency but many generations. This is why I am a conservative, all 5 foot ten inches of me.