College graduations are a good time to look back and reflect on the path you’ve taken to get you to this point in your life. That’s what conservative activist Kassy Dillon, who recently graduated from Mount Holyoke College, has done.
In a Twitter thread last night, Dillon discussed how her experience in a hotbed of liberal thought helped to strengthen her conservatism and shape her into the strong, independent woman she’s become:
In honor of graduating and getting booed while receiving my diploma, I’d like to reflect on my time at @mtholyoke. THREAD
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
2/ It all began freshman year. I met @realYDB who was fearlessly conservative and we quickly became well-known & unliked on campus. Our peers began attacking her on campus & online. I remember sitting with her at lunch as people yelled & made fun of her. https://t.co/JUJ6pfcy0r
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
3/ Yvonne transferred after one year because she won a New Hampshire state representative seat. I was quiet for a while, but after working for @CarlyFiorina’s campaign, I wasn’t afraid to voice my views anymore. I began writing for Campus Reform.
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
4/ My second article involved me going to the infamous “The Triggering” event at UMass Amherst where I captured a viral video of a protestor that went viral. pic.twitter.com/1KY5r0T7zW
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
5/ The woman in this video and her friend were upset about this and asked my school to take disciplinary action for “violating privacy.” Let me remind you this was taken on a public campus, at a public event, at a school where neither of them were even students. pic.twitter.com/cHqaeXB4FJ
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
6/ How could I possibly forget when I wanted to invite @benshapiro to campus in 2016 and my student government held a “what is free speech event.” After directly calling me out, I responded. This is what my peers thought of what I had to say. pic.twitter.com/ci87HHhHer
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
7/ Then came November 8th, 2016. I did not hide the fact that I voted for Donald Trump. After the election, my peers turned their frustration towards me. I was physically threatened and harassed. I write about it here: https://t.co/S4tjvU4Q81
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
8/ I soon became the favorite topic for discussion on Yik Yak! (Also in someone’s bedroom?) pic.twitter.com/fY6lnKushh
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
9/ It was my greatest honor to be compared to Jorge, the school’s vicious, but adorable, pet goose. pic.twitter.com/eAbM1ZX3ke
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
10/ However, some students weren’t as humorous… pic.twitter.com/QH4xPlJfrx
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
11/ Some students came to my defense… sort of? pic.twitter.com/9WyLs09aRK
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
12/ Though I have thick skin and usually laugh off any hate sent my way, during this time it started to take a toll on me because they harassed my friends for simply being my friend. One anonymous student must have noticed my frustration and left this for me. pic.twitter.com/TLm3JAVY7M
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
13/ Meanwhile, I was covering a developing story at Hampshire College where students burned down the American flag after Trump won. The college president tried to ban the flag altogether. https://t.co/fbZlQAoBkX
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
14/ The decision was reversed after hundreds of local veterans, gold star families, and community members came together with their flags. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/30bpWxQce7
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
15/ As the semester came to an end, my college decided to feature me on the school’s website to display their political diversity. I believe MHC noticed that parents are now looking for political diversity before sending off their children to a college. https://t.co/bTxgWD0raE
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
16/ Students and alums weren’t too happy about this. pic.twitter.com/asfTIBKvyu
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
17/ Then I studied abroad. My peers missed me so much that they threatened to shred my College Republican club’s file! https://t.co/XLDbSscxZx
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
18/ I came back strong for senior year and spent most of my time off campus or working. This spring, the leaders of the Women’s March were invited to campus for a discussion, but refused to answer tough questions. Read my piece about the event in the WSJ: https://t.co/TZCtPiNvCb
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
19/ Then I decided to host a summit with right-wing female speakers. Some of my peers weren’t to excited and one even wrote a piece expressing what sort of College Republicans we actually need… pic.twitter.com/s5VWWFmzWi
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
20/ Then came graduation. I decided to decorate my cap. Each item on my cap has a story behind it. I decorated my cap to make my final statement: Even though I think differently than you, I’m still your peer. In the real world, you’ll have to work with people you disagree with. pic.twitter.com/Vu9S4ewYQS
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
21/ When I walked on stage to accept my diploma, the audience was mostly silent, and a group of my peers decided to boo. I heard it, my family heard it, and several professors heard it. pic.twitter.com/Wik4WDXH6Q
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
22/ I am not a victim. Obviously a lot of this is petty and this isn’t everything that happened to me. But, because of how I was treated, I found a home & a family in the conservative movement. My time in college has prepared me for my career & taught me to stand by my beliefs. pic.twitter.com/3TAkA5kv72
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
23/ Although I encountered a lot of nonsense, I also met amazing people at MHC. I have a group of a few professors that always had my back and will be lifelong mentors.
The Lone Conservative professor and student. pic.twitter.com/SVitbyslWo
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) May 23, 2018
Good for her.
https://twitter.com/AkashJC/status/999267979232776192
Exactly.
It takes a lot of courage to keep at the fight on a hostile campus Kassy. Congratulations and keep up the fight!
— WE4OU ?? (@ECW4OU) May 23, 2018
This thread brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations Kassy! A beautiful role model – you make America even better! Go get ‘em! ✨??✨
— Jennifer Biehn (@JenniferGBiehn) May 23, 2018
We have no doubt she will.
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