Miguel Melgar formerly attended Buffalo Grove High School, and he plans on starting college in the fall at Harper College. He is going for his Associates in Business Administration. In high school, Miguel was a captain and four-year member of his school’s speech team and debate team. He has won multiple awards on the competitive debate circuit, and has plans to continue his debate career in college. Ever since grade school, Miguel has been very passionate about politics and economics. Today, he recognizes that America is on an unsustainable path of overspending, and he felt it necessary to fight this problem after he heard a peer claim that it was, “already too late for America to pay back her debt.” After Harper, Miguel hopes to earn his Bachelors with a double major at Northwestern in Economics and Finance, and then finally go for his Master’s in Finance at the University of Chicago. His dream job is to become a mutual fund manager for a major Wall Street Investment Firm, after he earned his CFA Certification. He is also involved in theater and music, and works at AMC.
Favorite Quote: “The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences; the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought to take the place of, indeed exclude, in a manner, all other arts. I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.” -John Adams
Political Heroes: Howard Zinn, John Rawls, and Milton Friedman
Alongside working with Turning Point, Kelly is also an intern with Dold for Congress. She been working with the Dold for Congress campaign since February, and the experience has infused her with love of politics. Kelly also enjoy playing field hockey, tennis and horseback riding. She has played field hockey for her high school and was on the varsity team for two years, and was also a member of the high school chorus. This summer she will be going to Alaska. She looks forward to aggressively working with Turning Point.
Solutions: I think there are a few things that we can do to help crack down on the debt. Firstly, I believe term limits will help solve the issue at hand. Many of these congressmen are in Congress for thirty years, and the original sentiment by the founding Fathers was for the Congress to create laws, then leave office and abide by the rules they create. Secondly, I believe that a balanced budget amendment would help alleviate the debt. While there has been amendments such as this proposed for the states, there has never been one proposed for the federal government.
The government has been spending too quickly, and a balanced budget amendment would help keep this in check. Thirdly, I believe an investigation of all federal departments to check for fraud, misuse of spending, and effectiveness. I believe that while there are many programs that are doing excellent work, there are a number of them either that can cut the amount they spend and reorganize or they are not needed. These are just three of the solutions I believe would allow us to begin to change the dynamic in Washington and get on the right path to economic freedom.
Quote: “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscious to remain silent” –Thomas Jefferson
Inspirational People: Chris Christie, Ronald Reagan, and Paul Ryan
Artur Sak has loved arguing about politics with his peers from a young age; however he never saw himself actually becoming involved with it until about five years ago. His parents came to America with only one suitcase each; today they own a business and continue to be hardworking US citizens. Naturally, they instilled a strong work ethic within their son. Arthur is a good student, and through the course of his life he has tried his hand at acting, music and sports but he has never become as passionate about anything as he did about politics. He has been with the Turning Point since it was founded and truly believes that a youth voice needs to be represented in Washington. He also interns for a local congressman, speaks three languages and enjoys writing in his downtime.
Solutions for solving the debt: Begin with determining which programs should to be funded by the federal government and which can be turned over to the states. Close loopholes and reduce tax rates. Strip away burdensome regulations and find efficient alternatives. Introduce stricter screening processes for entitlement programs and crack down on fraud. And reduce public-private partnerships.
Favorite Quote: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”-JFK
Inspirational Person: My father
Duncan Millar is a high school senior at Libertyville High School, despite being a native Virginian. Duncan plans to attend either The Citadel, Clemson University, Auburn University, or the University of Missouri and will participate in either Army or Marine ROTC in school. He plans to study international relations and political science, maybe also minoring in spanish.
Duncan has worked on numerous political campaigns and hopes to dabble in politics himself someday. When asked about his most proud political accomplishment, Duncan explained “really tough to pick just one. Shook hands with Mitt Romney once, that was an awesome experience. Rick Perry follows me on twitter which is definitely something I get to brag about. But I’d have to say my most proud political accomplishment would be representing Allen West at model congress. We both have a similar charisma.” An eloquent speaker, Duncan has won numerous awards as the basketball announcer at his high school. He is also a member of the varsity tennis team, a student council representative, a ranking member in numerous other clubs at his school, and a volunteer in groups around his community.
Favorite Quote: ”Let us renew our faith and our hope. We have every right to dream heroic dreams” ~Ronald Reagan
Political Heroes: Ronald Reagan, Rick Perry, Scott Walker, Paul Ryan.
In 2008, Dan’s interest in politics was sparked by the hype that surrounded what appeared to be the most pivotal election in American history. Now, as a senior in high school who will study at the University of Notre Dame this fall, Dan is willing to fight for America’s solvency. His ultimate desire to save America is driven by his compassion for America’s vulnerable; in this case, the future generations. Other than politics, Dan enjoys baseball, basketball, and volunteering at church which earned him an award from the Archdiocese of Chicago in the area of Social Justice.
Favorite Quote: “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” – JFK
Economic Heroes: Otto Von Bismark, John F. Kennedy
