From all four corners of our great nation, 60 young leaders joined Windrose for the 2017 Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. At the Summit, we studied how the principles of the American Founding should still guide us today. To do that you first have to know what you believe and why you believe it. Over the course of four days, we were drawn together by a common bond of love and respect to form a new part of the Windrose Family. Although it’s impossible to fully capture the experience in words and pictures, check out the highlights below, and then experience this live-changing experience for yourself by applying in 2018!
Almost universally, every Windrose leader who attended the summit shared that their favorite part of the experience by far was the chance to network with other young leaders and form lasting friendships. People are powerful influences in our lives, and young Americans need to surround themselves with other young leaders who will spur them on to greatness. Voted on by the 2017 Leadership Summit participants, here are the top 10 highlights (other than the amazing people, of course!):
Holocaust Museum: A deeply moving visit to this museum put everything in perspective and demonstrated that ideas have consequences! Nazi Germany paints a tragically clear picture of what happens when you build a society on the belief that all men are NOT created equal. One group of people can easily justify the systematic persecution, brutalization and destruction of another.
US Capitol Building: Thanks to the generous and wise Congressman Bob McEwen, Windrose received a special in-depth, off-the-beaten-path tour of the Capitol. While discussing the competing visions for our country of the left and right, we sat in on the House Floor where the Members of Congress sit during a session! (We can hardly wait for a Windrose leader to return there one day as an elected official!)
Easter Sunrise Service at the Lincoln Memorial: Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on the steps of one of the most iconic memorials in Washington DC was unforgettable! We were joined by more than 6000 people to worship the risen savior.
A Message from Juan Ruelas: “Where your mind goes, your future follows.” In a special call to action, our generous sponsors Juan and Alicia Ruelas challenged the young leaders of the Windrose Project to persevere no matter the odds and to chase their dreams. “You can be anything you want to be, as long as you put in the work!”
Inviting New Partners: Windrose had the honor of speaking to the leaders of Equipovision during their convention to celebrate our growth over the past year, and invite these leaders to partner with us in developing young leaders. Six outstanding Windrose Leaders including Cindy, Kenneth, Laura, Ruben, Gabriel and Francisco spoke about how Windrose has impacted their lives as young Americans. We are excited to report that hundreds of new sponsors answered the call to action!
Opening Night with Spencer Amaral: After deconstructing human knots and exploring tasty local DC fare, Spencer Amaral launched the 2017 Summit with a stirring presentation on natural rights. He challenged everyone think deeply about important questions that we often ignore including: 1) Do rights exist? 2) How do you know? 3) What are your rights? And 4) Why does that even matter?
Heritage Foundation: Arthur Milikh gave a dynamic presentation on why America is exceptional. Our country stands out because it is based on IDEAS, so anyone can become an American, if they choose to think like one. The documents that established our country set the framework of American values including liberty and justice for all. The Declaration declares your rights and the Constitution establishes a plan to protect your them.
Daniel Garza: America is the land of opportunity and economic mobility, and there is no other nation like it. (Also, although President Trump is an imperfect human being, we should all wish him well because his success is America’s success.)
Charters of Freedom: Housed at the National Archives, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are real documents! By signing the Declaration, the Founders staked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the cause of independence for the American colonies. (Fun Fact: the documents remain in special bullet-proof glass cases, and they sink down into an atomic bomb-proof vault if there is any threat to their safety!)
Pin-On Ceremony: During a special call to action to close the Summit, Directors Spencer and Bailey Amaral pinned-on the 10 leaders, who then passed the torch on by pinning each of their group members with the official Windrose pin. Each of the summit participants was commissioned to return home as ambassadors of Windrose. They were challenged to live with their eyes wide open and serve their communities.
Thanks to a very successful 2017 Summit, the Windrose Family is growing and the Windrose message of leadership, service and direction is reaching much farther!
The Heart of a Patriot stands firm on the idea that all men are created equal. As young Americans we must 1) know this principle, 2) understand it, and 3) live it out each day.
