An Inside Look: UW-Madison Chair On Why Every Campus Needs A YAF Chapter
An Inside Look: UW-Madison Chair On Why Every Campus Needs A YAF Chapter
By
newguardstaff
February 7, 2018
“Joining Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) was one of my better life decisions,” Abby Streu said in a recent article for Future Female Leaders (FFL). Streu currently serves as the fearless chairman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) YAF chapter.
“Being in a YAF chapter has allowed me to further the conservative message on my campus, alongside some of the best people I’ve met…We’ve provided a platform to students across all different ideologies to discuss problems facing us as students and American citizens.”
Reflecting on when she first joined the YAF chapter, Streu said she remembers “entering my student organization fair looking for a conservative organization to join…I had composed a list of all the conservative and libertarian groups on my campus. After my first meeting with our YAF chapter, I was hooked.”
In 2016, the chapter hosted Ben Shapiro on campus. This was Streu’s first event as a YAF activist. When leftist students claimed that their free speech rights were being taken away, the organization took the opportunity to educate students about freedom of speech and intellectual diversity on college campuses by hosting a panel featuring members of clubs from varying ideologies and backgrounds.
As chairman of the chapter, Streu helped to orchestrate an incredibly successful event with Katie Pavlich in October of 2017. After the university attempted to block the public from attending the lecture and the chapter was faced with protests from campus groups opposed to Pavlich’s pro-Second Amendment message, UW-Madison YAF persisted, ensuring that they were able to achieve success and highlight an issue that was important to the campus community.
Under Streu’s leadership, the UW-Madison YAF chapter was named November chapter of the month for their dedication, diligence, and hard work in advancing the Conservative Movement on campus.
In her article for FFL, Streu highlights several reasons she believes every conservative student should join a YAF chapter, stating that “joining or starting a YAF chapter is one of the best ways for high school and college students to impact their fellow students…It also provides life-changing experiences and unforgettable opportunities.”
Emphasizing the most important reasons for joining a chapter, Streu mentions conferences, activism, speakers, notable alumni and supporters, and most of all, opportunity. “If you’re willing to work hard, there is no end to what you can do through YAF…I joined YAF, not having ever really being involved in politics. YAF provided me an outlet to discover what I truly loved doing,” Streu said.
Her passion for both the Conservative Movement and YAF activism are reflected in her article as she explains that “what I love best about YAF is that we…will not fail the people who’ve believed in us from the start. We will continue to work hard to give our supporters hope for America’s future.”
Streu concludes her article by stressing that “YAF is more than a résumé boost. If you channel what the Foundation provides for you, you can make a difference, just like YAF members have been doing for decades.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Read the full article on Future Female Leaders website.
Related Resources
Article
March 9, 2026
The New Guard
Ben Shapiro to Headline America 250th Celebration at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate
In 2016, the chapter hosted Ben Shapiro on campus. This was Streu’s first event as a YAF activist. When leftist students claimed that their free speech rights were being taken away, the organization took the opportunity to educate students about freedom of speech and intellectual diversity on college campuses by hosting a panel featuring members of clubs from varying ideologies and backgrounds.
As chairman of the chapter, Streu helped to orchestrate an incredibly successful event with Katie Pavlich in October of 2017. After the university attempted to block the public from attending the lecture and the chapter was faced with protests from campus groups opposed to Pavlich’s pro-Second Amendment message, UW-Madison YAF persisted, ensuring that they were able to achieve success and highlight an issue that was important to the campus community.
Under Streu’s leadership, the UW-Madison YAF chapter was named November chapter of the month for their dedication, diligence, and hard work in advancing the Conservative Movement on campus.
In her article for FFL, Streu highlights several reasons she believes every conservative student should join a YAF chapter, stating that “joining or starting a YAF chapter is one of the best ways for high school and college students to impact their fellow students…It also provides life-changing experiences and unforgettable opportunities.”
Emphasizing the most important reasons for joining a chapter, Streu mentions conferences, activism, speakers, notable alumni and supporters, and most of all, opportunity. “If you’re willing to work hard, there is no end to what you can do through YAF…I joined YAF, not having ever really being involved in politics. YAF provided me an outlet to discover what I truly loved doing,” Streu said.
Her passion for both the Conservative Movement and YAF activism are reflected in her article as she explains that “what I love best about YAF is that we…will not fail the people who’ve believed in us from the start. We will continue to work hard to give our supporters hope for America’s future.”
Streu concludes her article by stressing that “YAF is more than a résumé boost. If you channel what the Foundation provides for you, you can make a difference, just like YAF members have been doing for decades.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Read the full article on Future Female Leaders website. 
