Here at YAF, we always say our alumni go on to do great things. Alumnus Thomas Qualtere was featured recently in the Washington Examiner for doing just that. Thomas Qualtere started college as a theater major. Originally a “lower case c conservative” from a conservative family, the overwhelmingly liberal atmosphere at Skidmore activated his interest in government. In addition to his Theater studies, the hostile environment at Skidmore prompted him to add a major in government as well. He worked his way up through the ranks of the conservative club, becoming its president his senior year. Thomas was also very active with Young America’s Foundation while at Skidmore College. He hosted conservative speakers John Ashcroft, Dinesh D’Souza, and Harvey Mansfield, bringing much-needed conservative voices to his campus. He was an intern at Young America’s Foundation National HQ in 2007 and attended the National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, D.C. twice. The connections that he made as a student and his time spent in the nation’s capital made it clear to him that this is where he wanted to be. After graduation, he came straight to Washington, D.C. where he interned with Dr. Ed Feulner at the Heritage Foundation as a speechwriter and research assistant to the president. He then went on to work with Rep. Jeb Hensarling as a speechwriter for the House Republican Conference. Qualtere is now Communications Director for Rep. Mike Kelly. Speaking of his current role, in the feature in the Washington Examiner he says “We’re on the front lines of the revolution in Congress, and there’s no place else my boss or I personally would rather be.” We’re proud of you, Tom!
