Gerald and Allison Sullivan visit The Heritage Foundation’s Phelon Roof Terrace.

Twelve-year-old Allison Sullivan of Summit, New Jersey, certainly puts the “young” in The Heritage Foundation’s Young President’s Club.

“Not many 12-year-olds can say they’ve had dinner with Dick Cheney and Margaret Thatcher,” notes her father, President’s Club member Gerald Sullivan, who several years ago brought Allison to a Heritage event that just happened to coincide with a two-day break for New Jersey schools.

“She came with me and my wife to the President’s Club Fall Meeting,” Gerald recalls. “She really enjoyed it, so I had her join the Young President’s Club.” Though she wasn’t able to attend President George W. Bush’s speech to Heritage last year—the busy sixth grader had a previous engagement—Allison is a big fan of the President. “I think he’s doing a good job with the war on terror,” she explains.

Allison is also a big fan of The Heritage Foundation’s newly expanded headquarters, where she and her dad visited with Ed Feulner and took in the sweeping views of Washington’s historic skyline from the rooftop terrace. “This is my first time to visit,” Allison said of the new building. “It’s great!”

For Gerald Sullivan, whose work in financial management keeps him tuned in to economic policy, supporting Heritage is all about family. Though interested in a range of issues, Gerald’s top priority is Social Security—which he bluntly describes as “a disaster.”

“It’s not very long until Social Security turns from a theoretical surplus to a deficit,”Gerald observes. “That not only affects me, but ultimately it affects my children.”

Researching Social Security, Gerald was intrigued by The Heritage Foundation’s work and soon signed on as a President’s Club member. His commitment continues to grow.

“The more I visit Heritage, the more I realize I’ve got to work harder and contribute more, because it’s important work,” Gerald explains. “It’s important to have Heritage working to preserve our culture, and to have an organization like Heritage that’s principled and consistent.”

Gerald can tell his support is making a real difference. “I’m definitely noticing Heritage more and more in the media, especially in the last couple of years,” he observes. Gerald is particularly pleased by Heritage’s ability to market conservative policies. “It’s great to see Heritage take a complicated issue and present it in such a way that it’s understandable,” he notes. “Through that understanding, Congress might be able to resolve an important issue.”

And through that understanding, even young Americans like Allison can enjoy a firmer knowledge of issues and current events. “I don’t want to stop Allie from thinking for herself,” explains Gerald, “but I’m glad that, by coming with me to Heritage, she’s being introduced to different ideas.”

Allison is planning for a career as a pediatrician, and she hopes to work a Heritage internship into her college studies. In the meantime, she can brush up on health care issues through her visits to Heritage and the Backgrounders she receives as a Young President’s Club member. Not many 12-year-olds can say that!

From Heritage Member News, Fall 2004

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