by Elissa Manalo
CBLPI's Western Women's Summit was an opportunity of a lifetime. Not only did I get to hear from some of the most brilliant and courageous women in the conservative movement, but I got to meet other young women who are just as passionate about ideas and principles as I.
Here are a few highlights from the Summit:
Policy
Among the policy topics, two speakers that stood out to me were Fox News Contributor Lisa Daftari (pictured above) and Ying Ma, author of "Chinese Girl in the Ghetto."
Lisa Daftari's talk focused on the real War on Women in the Middle East and how Americans should prioritize women that do not have basic human rights before the issues and policies presented by modern feminists in America.
Ying Ma spoke of the American Dream, using a personal example of how her life of hard work in the ghetto of Oakland resulted in a career as a successful author and presidential campaign spokeswoman.
Skills
Regnery Publishing President Marji Ross (pictured above) and District Media Group President Beverly Halberg spoke on how to integrate a variety of different skills in the workplace.
Beverly gave an insightful talk on interview presentation and mannerisms using the 2016 presidential candidates as examples.
Marji gave an empowering talk on professionalism and included tips on how to embrace our femininity through our career and everyday life.
Students
At the Summit, I had the honor of meeting some of the most passionate conservative women students from around the country. The ladies pictured above are Ashley (left), Julia (third from left), and Dani (right) from Texas Christian University. It was refreshing to have a group of like-minded women to not only discuss current events, but who are genuinely interested in getting to know you as a person. I am confident that I will be friends with many of the ladies I met during the Summit for years to come.
The Reagan Ranch
The Western Women's Summit gave me the opportunity to visit the Reagan Ranch. There is such a special ambiance about the ranch that truly "casts a spell," just as President Reagan described. His ranch is a concrete depiction of his humility and hard work, and having the chance to tour such a renowned estate was a blessing.
Santa Barbara
The location of the Western Women's Summit was one of the most breathtaking places I have ever visited. It was nice to be able to explore the beautiful Santa Barbara with the other Summit attendees during our free time and it definitely made for some great memories.
Thank you CBLPI!
I am incredibly grateful to the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute for providing me the opportunity to attend the Western Women's Summit.
From the location, to the students and the speakers, it was an event that I will never forget. I am sure I can speak for many of the other students who attended when I say that the Summit inspired and motivated to fight the good fight for conservative ideas and principles. I can't wait to attend future events with CBLPI!