Four Days in Arizona Learning State-Level Leadership!

Two weeks ago, we wrapped up four fantastic days in Arizona training the 2025–2026 Forge Academy students.

This winter meeting marked the first of two in-person gatherings for this Academy class: conservative students and young professionals selected for a year of deep leadership training, Christian community, and practical preparation for service in the public arena. Chosen from those we trained last summer at state capitols in Tennessee and Ohio, these students reunited for the first time in person, building on the monthly curriculum and expert sessions they participate in remotely.

We brought students to Arizona intentionally. One of Forge’s core goals is to help young leaders see the impact they can have in their own states – something often underemphasized for young leaders interested in public policy. We used Arizona as a case study of what state-level leadership can accomplish, from policy innovation to long-term cultural impact.

Throughout the week students examined what it takes to achieve a policy victory – and what comes after, including implementation and cultural impact in the months, years, and decades that follow.

The week opened with a conversation with Congressman Andy Biggs. Drawing on his experience as a member of the Arizona House, Senate President, and now in Congress, he walked students through real wins, losses, opportunities, and challenges at the state level – and why state leadership is so crucial. He encouraged students that more of them can have a lasting impact in their home state and shared his optimism that many states are not broken like Washington, D.C.

Students also heard from leaders shaping Arizona’s policy landscape, including Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and Senate Chief of Staff Josh Kredit, who offered a candid look at how ideas move from conviction to legislation and how to sustain policy wins during periods of divided government. Leaders from the Goldwater Institute and the Center for Arizona Policy shared firsthand lessons on advocacy and advancing key issues.

Arizona’s nation-leading school choice reforms served as an example not only of how legislation passes, but how it is implemented and shapes culture. Hosted at an innovative Christian school born from those reforms, students met children thriving who otherwise would not have had access to such education. For many, these children now represent a tangible answer to the question of why conservatives engage in the public arena – what (and who) they hope to “conserve” and protect.

The week combined policy rigor with personal and spiritual formation. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Lewis, author of Solid Ground, challenged students to build habits and foundations that will anchor them for success. Will Riddle, Senior Vice President of Prison Fellowship, poured into students’ souls with a talk titled “Daniel in Babylon,” drawing from Scripture’s public-arena leaders and calling students to faithfulness, courage, and wisdom.

Forge emphasizes hands-on leadership training. Throughout the week, students practiced practical skills with experts like Roy Lenardson of the Foundation for Government Accountability – speed networking, unscripted debates, and impromptu speaking challenges – learning to persuade clearly and confidently, even with just a single page or a five-minute presentation.

Forge provides friendships that strengthen students, and these relationships are the heart of the Forge Network. Outside scheduled programming, students connected across cohorts, shared meals, fire pit conversations, and informal time together. For many, these moments clarified their calling and renewed confidence. One student shared he had never felt so “dialed in” to God’s calling for his life and career.

Here’s how a few other students reflected on their biggest takeaways:

Skylar from TN: “Building strong, purposeful relationships throughout one’s career is not optional but essential, because lasting impact is achieved through collaboration, trust, and shared commitment to solving real problems.”

Daniel from OH: “My biggest takeaway from the week was how important state-level work is. I never realized how much was actually accomplished at the state level.”

Abby from MO: “Being immersed among driven individuals committed to serving Christ in their respective spheres of influence deepened my understanding of personal and professional leadership.”

Brendan from VA: “I’m encouraged that other young people like me are working towards the same ends as me and have the same worldview as me.”

Corey from PA: “The practical application of our policy work has real life consequences that affect real people.”

Karly from AR: “There are other conservative Christians that are actively pursing different parts of the same political movement. I took away meaningful connections and practice tips for helping pursue my career but also how to help others with theirs!”

Next up for this cohort is reuniting in Washington, D.C., this May to build national networks and gain perspective on how the federal landscape intersects with the states. But students left Arizona with clarity: they don’t have to leave their home state to make an eternal impact. Meaningful, lasting leadership often begins right where God has placed them.

Weeks like this matter because they shape leaders with conviction and character, ready to serve faithfully wherever they’re called.