Undoubtably, 2012 was a good year for College Republicans National Committee Chairman Alex Schriver.
The 24-year-old was a guest on MSNBC and FOX News. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in Florida — and was the only speaker under the age of 30. He was honored with a Young Conservatives Coalition Buckley Award and featured on the DC GOP’s ’35 Under 35′ list. He also wrapped up his first year as CRNC chairman and entered into his second.
But another major component of Schriver’s life this year — something that reflects the work and dedication of a year and a half — was the release of Hannah Seligson’s book, “Mission Adulthood: How the 20-Somethings of Today Are Transforming Work, Love, and Life.”
Seven chapters in Seligson’s book each profile a representative of the young adult demographic, but for a long time, she didn’t have someone from the South or someone in politics. That’s when she got in touch with Alabama native Schriver and asked him to take part. He agreed.
“I thought Hannah had an interesting thesis, and I thought the story she was trying to tell was one that needs to be told,” Schriver said. “I think our generation and millennials are often mischaracterized — and wrongly so.”
Every month, Schriver and Seligson would meet over coffee to talk, something that usually lasted an hour. If they were unable to meet due to their travel schedules, they would talk on the phone. But to Schriver, giving up the time wasn’t the most difficult part.
“More so than the time commitment, was the commitment to allow somebody — let alone a reporter and a journalist and an author — to peer into your life and ask questions above and beyond sort of the typical political subjects I answer day in and day out as part of my job,” he said.
The coffee meetings allowed Schriver to relive important moments in his past while sharing them with the author, as well as speak to what he has observed about young adults in general. The CRNC chairman said he is satisfied with the end result, both his chapter and the way Seligson portrayed the struggles and triumphs of his generation.
Yet Schriver hasn’t stopped living his life in the time since he stopped meeting with Seligson, and while his chapter doesn’t include any details he wished the author had left out, there is certainly a lot more that could be added.
“I’m at a much different place now than I was when the book ends,” he said.
Personally, the young Republican is no longer single. Professionally, Schriver’s term as CRNC chairman is coming to an end this summer, and he will be faced with the choice to stay in D.C. or go back to his home state. At this point, he is hoping to return to Alabama politics, but he said he is speaking with family and friends to gather input on his next move.
With so much success already under his belt, it may seem impossible that Schriver can maintain his upward trajectory. at such a young age. But for someone who currently holds the position that launched the career of political consultant Karl Rove, one can bet that Washington hasn’t seen the last of Alex Schriver.
