The success of OCPA’s J. Rufus Fears Fellowship can best be measured by the effect it is having on young leaders’ lives and their careers. Success for the program is when participants are inspired to act or equipped to serve. 

The Fears Fellowship is intended to identify, inspire, and equip young conservative leaders for Oklahoma’s future. The word “identify” in that statement indicates that the majority of participants are already leaders when they come to the program. And, they have conservative-leaning values.  The purpose of the program is to inspire and equip them.

More than 380 fellows have completed the program. More than 50 are working in politics, policy, or government. Five have been elected to public office. These numbers are measures of success for the program. However, they do not begin to capture the impact the fellowship is having. Fears Fellows are leading in business, education, nonprofits, and churches. They are serving the state and their communities in a wide variety of ways.

Below are quotes from some Fears Fellows themselves, describing how the fellowship affected their career trajectory. When they say things like it inspired me to get involved or it taught me what it means to be a conservative, those are the successes the Fears Fellowship aims to produce. The highest reward is when they write, “It changed my life.”

Inspired to Action

“OCPA has helped instill within me a deeper respect for the importance of political activity in our state.”

 “I still appreciate doing the Fears Fellowship, years later, because it opened my eyes to non-academic career options, such as policy research.”

“I would not have run for office without this program inspiring me.”

Equipped to Stand

“You need to understand the founding principles, and that is what the Fears Fellowship did. We studied the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Federalist Papers and I thought, how do I become like that? This program was the most amazing thing I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Fears Fellowship has helped me: one of the greatest lessons I learned was how to better communicate to individuals with different political leanings. This realization definitely changed how I approach and acted within disagreements, both politically and in my regular interactions.”

“While I've known and held conservative values most of my life, the Fears Fellowship really helped me learn the history and the heart behind those values.”

“Fears Fellowship has given me confidence in my knowledge behind my beliefs—allowing me to be able to support the right people and policies that make our country so great!”

“Taught me strong principles and gave me a solid foundation of thought in which I can formulate solutions to problems.”

Built a Network

“Connected me to many people that I interact with on a professional basis weekly. Having those relationships from Fears gives me a leg up in those professional settings.”

“Fears Fellowship gave me a way to better analyze policy and to network with other professionals interested in conservative policy.”

“The Fellowship’s notoriety has afforded me continued opportunities to serve the people of Oklahoma. Thank you OCPA for pouring into the next generation of conservative leaders!” 

Affected My Work

“This has shaped my work in the areas of policy and research.”

“I still return to ‘Above the Fray’ by Larry Parman quite often and it has helped me a ton with leadership and understanding myself in a professional setting.”

“Dr. Fears discussing the qualities of a statesman. The fellowship was an experience that taught the value of leading well, and creating consensus.”

“I am teaching history at a middle school in the upcoming school year. I plan to use what I learned from the Fears Fellowship to further my knowledge of the content I teach.”  

Filled an Academic Gap

“The Fears Fellowship was one of the first places I was exposed to classical political thought via our reading of Aristotle as well as the fundamental laws of economics. Both of which have changed my overall perspective on politics and economics.” 

“Fears gave me a solid understanding of market dynamics and deepened my appreciation for free-market principles. It’s helped me identify ways to create value and gain an edge in the market. The experience was incredibly formative, and I believe the program is more relevant now than ever.”

“It has helped me in my Political Science degree.”

“Learned so much that I was able to apply to my high school classes and papers.”

“I use the critical thinking and deliberation skills I learned at Fears Fellowship every day at law school. It challenges me to think about what the constitutional law is that we have, and also what it should be for the best benefit of the people.”

Changed My Life

“I really cannot quantify nor recount all the different areas of my life that I now approach differently after what I learned during the fellowship.” 

“Something that I think about often is ‘The Conservative Heart’ book that we read for the Fellowship. The principles that I have gleaned from that book have truly been life-changing.”

“Connected me to a man and a woman that I consider two of my best friends. These two people have changed the trajectory of my life.”

In sum, numbers can’t capture the impact of OCPA’s J. Rufus Fears Fellowship. The real story of the fellowship is in how it has inspired and equipped future leaders for Oklahoma. It is especially gratifying to know that for some people, it was life-changing.

Please encourage young leaders to take advantage of this program. The next cohort will form in Tulsa this fall. The keynote speaker will be the former Congressman and NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. The next OKC cohort will begin in January 2026. Prospective fellows can request an application at www.FearsFellowship.com.