Vivek Ramaswamy, the Cincinnati native who formerly bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2023, encourages students to throw off a “victimhood mindset,” to find their calling and to fight for the future of America. 

On Oct. 15, Ramaswamy gave a speech to over 1,000 students at the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom on the Ohio State University campus.  

This event was hosted by Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics at high schools, colleges and universities, and was a part of Ramaswamy’s “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour.” 

Ramaswamy began with a hopeful message about the future of America, telling students, “I do think it’s going to be your generation that saves this country.” 

“I think we are lost. I believe that my generation, your generation, perhaps every American generation right now, is hungry for something deeper, is starved actually,” Ramaswamy said, “starved for cause, starved for purpose, starved for meaning and identity.” 

Samurai Chung, a freshman at OSU who attended the event, said that while he thought most politicians throughout history have said something similar — that their country needs saving — he still agreed with Ramaswamy that “the U.S. lacks purpose.” 

“The things that used to fill that void — faith in God, patriotism, hard work, family — these things have disappeared,” Ramaswamy said. “When these things disappear, you have a hole in your heart that runs deep.” 

Appealing to the young people in the audience, Ramaswamy said that they need to regain the foundation of America that the founding fathers fought for.  

“The things we sought to conserve — faith, family, hard work, patriotism in America — when those things have begun to, if not all outright already, disappeared, it’s not good enough to just conserve,” Ramaswamy said. “We have to recreate. That’s actually what our founding fathers did.” 

Angel Sobolewski, a student at Stark State College and the social media coordinator for Akron TPUSA who also attended the event, said that she believes we need to “recreate,” like Ramaswamy said. 

“I think we do need to recreate the America we’re supposed to have,” Sobolewski said, “restoring our original constitutional freedom, because it doesn’t seem like people care about that anymore.” 

Ramaswamy then listed off the many accomplishments of the people that fought to build America, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. He noted that many of the founding fathers were young, and encouraged the student audience that young people can make a significant difference in a country. 

“There was a founding culture in our country, the belief that we are the pioneers, the explorers, the unafraid, the people who would not be stopped by any government or system standing in our way,” Ramaswamy said. 

Chung agreed with Ramaswamy, and said that, “We need to be creators, in some sense. We need to be creative and innovative to help revive some of the traditional values that we’ve lost as a nation so far.” 

“I think it will take a generation whose best days in life are still yet ahead to see a country whose best days are still ahead of itself too,” Ramaswamy said. 

Urging students to find their calling, Ramaswamy said they needed to find their specific skill and to work to make America a better place by doing the right thing in their own lives. 

“Every one of us has our own unique, God-given gift. It’s not the same as the person sitting next to you. That’s a beautiful thing,” Ramaswamy said. “Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself how you’re going to use that God-given gift to do what is right in the short time that we are given.” 

Chung said he thought Ramaswamy did a “good job” of giving college students purpose for their lives, which is to be a revitalize and uphold “traditional values and patriotism.” 

“It’s a powerful thing to have someone tell you have a responsibility,” Chung said. 

Ramaswamy then closed his speech by telling students that they “have an opportunity to author the next generation, the next 250 years ahead,” if they “step up in season.” 

“If we revive those common principles, the commitments to free speech and open debate, meritocracy, the rule of law, self-governance in our country, then I am confident that our best days as a country can actually still be ahead of us,” Ramaswamy said. 

“If we’re really serious about making America great again, we got to remember what made it great the first time,” Ramaswamy said. 

Ramaswamy then took questions from students, both from those who agreed with his views and from those who disagreed.  

To a student that expressed concern over his views being discriminated against on his college campus, Ramaswamy replied, “When you’re the only person in a room who believes what you do, stand up and actually say it. Say it with a spine, say it with conviction, say it with respect.” 

Chung said that he thought Ramaswamy was an excellent speaker, and that his speech was something that college students really needed to hear. 

“Vivek is clearly a very experienced and effective speaker.” Chung said. “As a student who is experiencing a lot of change in their life, whether that might be in their personal life, their social life or their academic life, it’s nice to have some people providing some clarity.” 

Both Chung and Sobolewski said that the event gave them some hope and encouragement for the country going forward.  

“We need to hear that there’s more Gen Z that wants to fight for our freedom…” Sobolewski said. “I used to think I was the only one out of our generation that believed what I believed.” 

Chung said he thinks Ramaswamy is passionate, strong and ethical, and said that “he gives me hope for the reliability of the political system.”