Benjamin Franklin once said, “If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed,” and no truer words have ever been spoken. The statesman, publisher, author, and founding father stands forever as the epitome of free speech. Yet in 2026, I find myself in a similar position to Franklin: an aspiring statesman and author in an era of political unrest and uncertainty. As someone who sits to the right of the aisle, I have witnessed and experienced first hand what it means to be suppressed. Conservatives exist in academia, as I am proof, but are often restricted from opportunities because our political train of thought is deemed “controversial.” I argued in my book, "DEI’d: The Downfall of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," that conservative literature isn’t taught in higher-level academia; and when it is, it’s framed as white supremacy. As I watched my liberal peers be awarded opportunities, such as scholarships and grant funding for interdisciplinary research on gender studies–I didn’t just sit there and sulk; I put my words into action, working grassroots on various campaigns for candidates I believed would advance freedom of speech on college campuses. As well, I self-published two of my own books dedicated to furthering the understanding of conservatism in the twenty-first century. There have been multiple times where I have personally bore the brunt of being a conservative in academia. Most recently was when I tried working with my school’s political review magazine to publish an article. The student-led publication ultimately denied my draft for publication. These unfortunate yet very real instances have only fueled my fire to advance the free speech movement. Pursuing a Master’s in Legal Studies through the University of Denver Sturm College of Law will provide me with the prestigious opportunity to advance my legal knowledge and skills so that one day I may serve my country in the legislative capacity. Or who knows? Benjamin Franklin's resume is a list that goes on and on. I could serve my country in the legislative capacity; or I could later attend law school and become attorney general. I could continue my work in legal advocacy, like I currently do for the Legal Insurrection Foundation, where we advocate for equality in higher-level academic institutions. The moral of the story is, my work isn’t done yet; it’s just getting started. Just as Franklin said: “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”