As the visible presence of the Conservative Movement on their campuses, Young Americans for Freedom activists have carried forward the ideas of YAF’s Founding Document, the Sharon Statement, for more than 60 years.
YAF chapters are at the forefront of the battle for free speech on our campuses, hosting thousands of students to hear from leaders like Ben Shapiro, Vice President Mike Pence, Matt Walsh, and others. These activists also spearhead important activism projects on vital topics like abortion, socialism, and remembering 9/11, regularly gaining national attention. They are a vital reminder that many young Americans reject the woke ideology of the Left, and believe in the founding principles that make this country great. To recognize the achievements of key chapter leaders, YAF will elevate effective activists to the Young Americans for Freedom Board of Governors. This gives student leaders an exciting opportunity to share their visions to help guide YAF’s continued growth.
“We are blessed with amazing students and alumni at Young America’s Foundation,” said YAF President Gov. Scott Walker. “I am grateful for these leaders willing to serve on this board.”
Young Americans for Freedom National Chairman Grant Strobl echoed this sentiment. “The challenges that campus revolutionaries pose to YAF’s student activists changes incessantly. That is why YAF activists need leaders who are not only attuned to those recent trends but have a track-record of advancing truth and tradition at their schools. Nick Cabrera, Catriona Fee, Juliana Purcell, and Hunter Morrow have those qualities. They are exceptionally qualified to join the Young Americans for Freedom Board of Governors. In their role they will lead a network of thousands of activists and develop innovative ways to share conservative ideas at schools across the country.”
We are excited to announce the addition of four activists to the Young Americans for Freedom Board of Governors, as the number of YAF chapters grows substantially across the nation:
Hunter Morrow of the University of Iowa
Catriona Fee of the Catholic University of America
Julianna Purcell of Ave Maria University
Nickolaus Cabrera of the University of Virginia
Hunter Morrow is a graduating senior and the founder of the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at the University of Iowa. During his four-year chairmanship at the U of I, Hunter helped Iowa YAF bring influential speakers such as Bay Buchanan, Elisha Krauss, Burt Folsom, and Vice President Mike Pence. He also helped with several activism projects such as the 9/11: Never Forget Project, Freedom Week, and several “Change My Mind” discussion tables to bring discourse to an otherwise apathetic campus. Hunter is graduating with degrees in Management and Economics, and in his free time loves to cheer for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is excited to continue to represent the ideas of the Sharon Statement in his position on the Young Americans for Freedom Board of Governors.
Catriona Fee is a graduating senior at the Catholic University of America, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Economics. She attended her first YAF conference in 2017 when she was a junior in high school. At CUA, she assisted in the founding of the school’s YAF chapter, facing a considerable amount of pushback from administrators. She has led the chapter as chairman since May of 2021 and has had the opportunity to help the chapter host many prominent conservative speakers. In October of 2021, CUA YAF hosted Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles, breaking the university record for the largest conservative event on campus. In the spring, the chapter hosted one of the most influential conservative leaders, Kellyanne Conway. In November of 2021, she was honored to be a guest on former Vice President Mike Pence’s podcast, American Freedom. She is originally from Cold Spring, New York.
Julianna Purcell is a junior at Ave Maria University, who most recently founded a YAF chapter, after previously being involved with YAF at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her chapter at Ave Maria has had great successes thus far, bringing members to YAF’s conferences as well as most notably hosting Michael Knowles with over 200 attendees on campus in April of 2021, Matt Walsh with 400 attendees in November of 2021, and Congressman Byron Donalds with 100 attendees in January of 2022. On-campus, Julianna can be found leading weekly meetings, as well as frequently tabling to engage students with conservative ideas and to introduce them to the chapter. In her free time, Julianna enjoys reading, traveling, playing piano, and enjoying time with her family in her hometown of Buffalo, New York.
Nickolaus Cabrera is a rising third year at the University of Virginia, studying Astronomy and Environmental Sciences as an Echols and UAA Scholar. Nick has served as a two-time contributor to National Science Foundation microbiology projects at the University of Wyoming. He hopes to attend graduate school at the University of Wyoming to study comparative planetary meteorology. Despite his heavy involvement in academic research, Nick has understood the importance of conservative ideals, especially as they relate to leading a self-sustainable nation through free-market principles.
He first became involved with the University of Virginia Young Americans for Freedom when he entered college in the Fall of 2020. Nick was duly elected to the Student Council as a representative for his first-year class. He was then persecuted for expressing a rational viewpoint on a piece of legislation that was working to create a “strike system” for professors. He soon realized that more students needed to immerse themselves in conservative viewpoints. YAF at UVA went on to earn the National Chapter of Distinction due to the pushback efforts against the student government.
Under his leadership, YAF at UVA hosts an annual memorial for the victims of 9/11, conducts Free Speech Matters campaigns, and any other activism that is needed and necessary in the current time. YAF at UVA has also hosted many speakers such as Congressman Chip Roy, Congressman Bob Good, Former Congresswoman Mia Love, and Vice President Mike Pence. He has been able to grow the YAF at UVA chapter to nearly 100 students at its peak. Nick has been quoted on NBC, The Daily Progress, O’Connor and Company, Breitbart, The Daily Wire, and various other news outlets.
To start or join a YAF chapter at your high school or college, click here.
