Tamlyn Crain
Las Vegas, N.M. – A Highlands University history and political science major contributed to a discussion of the 2016 presidential election as a panelist at the Dominici Public Policy Conference.
Tamlyn Crain, a student government leader and senior at Highlands, questioned presenters James Carville, political strategist and former campaign manager to President Bill Clinton, and Kristen Soltis Anderson, pollster and author of The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up.)
Crain said her questions in the 2016 Elections session centered upon the influence millennials are having on the 2016 presidential election and how transparency issues could potentially affect the election’s outcome.
“Carville and Anderson both focused on how disapproval ratings for both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates transcended transparency issues,” Crain said. “With the millennial question, Anderson stressed how this generation uses more technology to voice political opinions and ideas. Carville said young voters have always influenced elections and millennials are not different from past generations in that regard.”
Crain and three other New Mexico college students questioned Carville and Anderson at the Sept. 14 – 15 conference presented by the Pete V. Dominici Institute at New Mexico State University.
Crain, a 22-year-old from Port Orchard, Washington, said the conference greatly expanded her ability to discuss public policy issues.
Highlands history professor Kristie Ross nominated Crain for the competitive process of being selected as a student panelist at the Dominici Public Policy Conference.
“Tamlyn stands out in the classroom because she is consistently engaged in asking and answering questions with insight,” Ross said. “She shows strong leadership skills working with her peers in academic settings as well as in student government. Tamlyn also has an aptitude and passion for public policy.”
Crain took a number of classes Ross taught such as American Presidency and U.S. Women’s History.
“I also knew Tamlyn would complete the in-depth research needed to be well prepared for the conference,” Ross said.
Outside the classroom, Crain serves on the student senate at Highlands and is also a student ambassador.
“As a student senator, I’ve learned about policy development and important parliamentary procedures for debating and approving student government actions. Being a student senator has given me the opportunity to support efforts that will improve students’ lives, like the new campus life initiative,” Crain said.
Crain said her academic experience at Highlands has been phenomenal.
“My professors know me by name and there’s a family feeling of caring about me as an individual,” Crain said.
She said her primary academic interest is labor union history.
“I plan to pursue graduate school with the long-term goal of eventually earning a doctorate degree in history. I want to contribute to the body of knowledge about labor union history and teach at the college level,” Crain said.