Campus conservatives must stand together

The below piece is the winning collegiate essay in the Network of Enlightened Women’s 2024 essay contest.

Every human possesses an innate desire to feel heard, seen, and understood, but the unfortunate truth is that genuine community can be hard to come by. College life, in particular, presents a huge challenge to conservative young women in search of acceptance. Where non-conservative women are finding community and sanctuary, conservative women are finding a battlefield. 

As the president of a NeW chapter at Washington State University, Vancouver, I’ve experienced firsthand the stress and challenges of openly holding conservative viewpoints. When I raise my hand in class to speak out against abortion, my classmates tease me remorselessly. Even professors have called me ignorant and sheltered for simply expressing

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