IAAV Fellows

I am retired from teaching, having taught for 37 1/2 years in Boise State’s Economics Department, but continue to organize the Brandt Foundation Lectures and Spriggs Family Lectures for the College of Business and Economics, and the Adam Smith Lectures for the Department of Economics. Through the work of the Institute, I hope to see open and respectful conversation restored on economic, political and social issues against the dark forces of liberalism coming from both the Left and Right. I have great hopes for the Institute on campus and within Idaho.

I am a Southern California native majoring in Political Science with a Human Resource Management minor. I joined the IAAV following the assassination of Charlie Kirk because I believe it is more vital than ever to provide spaces for healthy political discourse in a collegiate environment. By providing dedicated spaces for people of all ages to reflect on their beliefs and exercise the First Amendment right, we can begin to heal.

As a Fellow, I look forward to creating environments that move beyond polarization to focus on productive discussion. My goal is to help tear down the barriers that prevent us from seeing eye-to-eye, ensuring Boise State remains a place where we stand united in our common beliefs, rather than concentrating on what separates us. Through our cohesion, I believe we can build a better community and a more perfect union.

I am from California and am majoring in Political Science and minoring in Business. I was drawn to become an undergraduate fellow for the Institute for Advancing American Values because I firmly believe that our nation is capable of achieving great things, but only when we put aside our differences and work together. The divisiveness and polarization this country has seen in recent years is concerning. However, it is important to remember that having different backgrounds and beliefs is one of our biggest strengths as a nation. After all, the United States is known as a melting pot for a reason. As a member of the Institute I am looking forward to creating spaces which foster productive discussions and help tear down the barriers that prevent us from seeing eye to eye with one another.

I’m a junior from Twin Falls, Idaho majoring in Political Science with a minor in History and a Human Rights Certificate. I first learned about the Institute for Advancing American Values when I attended one of the Distinguished Lecture Series events, and I was thrilled to be invited to join as an undergraduate fellow. The Institute’s goal of fostering civil discourse is something that I strongly align with. Since I’ve been old enough to care about politics, civil conversations about our differences have ceased, and have been replaced with nasty, unproductive shouting matches. I’m excited to work with an organization that creates spaces for us to discuss issues and disagree politely. I believe that the strength of America lies in our ability to understand and respect one another, and I’m honored to be able to help achieve that goal. By providing safe spaces for people to speak their minds, we can foster understanding and empathy for one another, and help to build a kinder nation.

I am an Interdisciplinary Professional Studies Student with an emphasis in Conflict Management, Leadership, and Human Relations with a certificate in Spanish.  I have lived across the United States and abroad as part of a military family. I applied to the Institute because it will allow students and communities from different backgrounds to participate in dialogue and learn how to engage in discourse effectively.

I was born in California, but I have grown up in Boise and I’m happy to call it my home. I have seen how Boise has and continues to change and I look forward to being a part of that process. I am studying Social Sciences at Boise State with emphasis in Political Science and Gender Studies. I am also interested in local politics. With this, I hope to engage in conversations that challenge my ideas, as I believe we all should. This is one of the key reasons I wanted to join the fellowship. I believe that the best thing we can do to express our political concerns or fears is to engage in a conversation about that subject. We all form our opinions based on our own experiences and we all wish for our experiences to be heard and valued.