During the summer of 2024, SFL’s House Bastiat for Policy, Politics, and Law saw many of its members take their first steps toward becoming future leaders of liberty. The following are but a few samples of the amazing things House Bastiat members accomplished.
Argya Parama Budihandojo – House Member
School: University of British Columbia
Major: Political Science
Summer Highlight: Argya was invited to the George Jonas Freedom Award ceremony, an annual event held by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Canadian organization. Argya says this event made him realize the importance of holding the government accountable, and that freedom of expression and press should be key pillars in policymaking.
Marcos Batista – House Programs Chair
School: Georgia State University
Major: Economics and Mathematics
Summer Highlight: Marcos interned at the American Institute for Economic Research, an historic think tank with a scenic campus in the hills of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. During his internship at AIER, he wrote a research paper studying antitrust intervention’s impact on innovation within interconnected markets. His research focused on how regulatory actions influence innovation across supply chain-linked sectors.
Mitchell Thornton – House Vice President
School: University of Missouri – Columbia
Major: Quantitative Economics
Summer Highlight: Mitchell interned at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a leading free-market think tank in Washington, D.C. As an intern, Mitchell focused on trade policy and worked on a paper detailing the relationship between the freedom to trade and human development. He also published two articles on the CEI blog about national security and the GOP’s shift away from free trade. Mitchell was also invited to attend Cato University, a weekend-long conference held by the Cato Institute.
Ahmad Nazeri – House Member
School: George Mason University
Major: Pursuing a Master’s in Economics
Summer Highlight: This summer, Ahmad began working as a Research Assistant at the Abundance Institute, a think tank dedicated to supporting the development of emerging technology, focusing on AI policy. He was also accepted into the Koch Associate Program at Stand Together Fellowships, a 10-month professional development program. In addition to his professional achievements, Ahmad attended CATO University and established his blog, Hephaestus Unchained, where he writes about technology and policy.
Connor Sutton – House Canadian Programs Chair
School: University of British Columbia – Okanagan
Major: Political Science
Summer Highlight: Connor finished the last course of his undergraduate degree while traveling to enjoy stimulating conferences and cultural exchanges. He attended Students For Liberty’s LibertyCon Europe in Tbilisi, Georgia and SFL’s Top-25 retreat in Wisconsin; LevelUp 2024 in Atlanta; FreedomFest in Las Vegas; The Prometheus Fellowship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya; and Freedom Week in Montreal, Canada. He also visited Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala, then began an internship with the American Institute for Economic Research.
Ethan Yang – House President
School: George Mason University
Major: Pursuing a Juris Doctorate at the Antonin Scalia Law School
Summer Highlight: This summer, Ethan graduated from law school and spent his time studying for the D.C. Bar Exam. During his “breaks” from studying, he worked part-time for the American Institute for Economic Research, the International Center for Law and Economics, and TechFreedom, all revolving around antitrust law and tech regulation. After taking the Bar, he began a full-time job as a legal associate at the Cato Institute, where he drafts amicus briefs that advance constitutional liberties. He recently filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court to support a free speech advertising case. Additionally, Ethan organized two happy hours in D.C. for liberty-inclined professionals, and one in New Delhi, India where he attended the Mont Pelerin Society conference as a Young Scholar. In that capacity, he presented a paper on antitrust law, spoke on a panel about his recently published book, and led a breakout discussion on China’s role in the global order.
Join SFL. Do good work. Then join House Bastiat.
These stories are just a sample of the exciting things SFL’s House Bastiat did over the summer. And the House has even more exciting plans for the future, including networking events, policy seminars, and exclusive retreats — all to identify and connect the next generation of classical liberal policy wonks and lawyers with each other and with the wider professional world.
Click above to start your journey with Students For Liberty. If you do well as a Local Coordinator, you could be House Bastiat’s next great ambassador. Contact House President Ethan Yang to learn more: [email protected]
This piece solely expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the organization as a whole. Students For Liberty is committed to facilitating a broad dialogue for liberty, representing a variety of opinions.
