FFRF’s national convention is always one of the highlights of my year. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with our members — the people who truly power our organization and make everything we do possible.
Our members are the reason we can challenge unconstitutional government actions, stand up to Christian nationalism and defend the separation between state and church. We simply couldn’t do this work without them.
And after another increasingly challenging year fighting to protect our constitutional freedoms, spending a weekend surrounded by hundreds of people who share our commitment to reason and secularism is exactly the recharge I needed. Reconnecting with everyone, hearing their stories and photographing so many of those moments made the experience even more meaningful.
But something about this year’s convention in Milwaukee was especially encouraging.
There were a lot of new, younger faces. And they weren’t just attending. They were excited, engaged and eager to become part of the movement.
A big part of that was thanks to my friend Drew McCoy, better known online as Genetically Modified Skeptic.
Drew has become one of the most recognizable voices among a younger generation of atheists and skeptics. His YouTube channel has attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and his thoughtful, accessible videos about religious belief, deconversion, skepticism and the influence of religion have introduced countless viewers to ideas that have long been central to FFRF’s mission.
FFRF is proud to sponsor many of Drew’s videos, and our partnership has helped introduce our organization to an entirely new audience of freethinkers who care deeply about protecting the secular character of our country. Through his promotion of this year’s convention, Drew helped bring dozens of his viewers to Milwaukee, many of whom were attending their first FFRF event.
Seeing so many enthusiastic young people there was a powerful reminder of what can happen when established secular organizations and a new generation of online creators work together.
From online communities to real-world connections
For many younger nonbelievers, the internet has provided their first meaningful connection to a secular community. YouTube, podcasts, TikTok and other social media platforms have become places where people can question religious teachings, share their experiences leaving religion and discover that they aren’t alone in their skepticism. That’s particularly important for those who grew up in deeply religious communities, where openly questioning religion can come with significant social consequences.
Creators like Drew have built communities where people can explore those questions openly, often for the first time. There’s something special about bringing those online connections into the real world.
At the convention, people who had previously interacted only through screens were suddenly meeting face to face. They were making friends, exchanging ideas, listening to speakers and discovering an entire community of people who shared their values.
And they weren’t just meeting other young atheists.
They were connecting with longtime FFRF members, activists and advocates who have spent decades fighting many of the same battles that younger freethinkers are only beginning to encounter.
That exchange between generations was one of my favorite parts of the weekend.
It reminded me that while our experiences and the ways we communicate may differ, we’re all working toward many of the same goals.
Building the future of the secular movement
For nearly five decades, FFRF has been on the front lines of defending the constitutional separation between state and church, challenging government-sponsored religion and educating the public about nontheism. That work is more important than ever as Christian nationalism increasingly threatens the rights and freedoms of religious and nonreligious Americans alike.
But the ways people discover and engage with secular ideas are changing. Younger generations are increasingly encountering conversations about atheism, religious freedom and Christian nationalism through independent content creators rather than traditional organizations or media outlets.
And that’s an enormous opportunity for the secular movement.
These creators have built communities of people who are already passionate about the very issues FFRF works on every day. Many are looking for ways to turn their interest into meaningful action.
Drew has helped demonstrate how those communities can connect with FFRF’s longstanding advocacy, enriching both in the process.
Young freethinkers bring fresh perspectives, creativity, technological expertise and an understanding of how to reach audiences that traditional advocacy organizations have sometimes struggled to engage. FFRF brings decades of experience, legal expertise, organizational resources and the ability to turn concern about religious privilege into meaningful action.
Together, we’re building the future of the secular movement.
And that future was on full display in Milwaukee.
Celebrating the next generation of secular leaders
Of course, Drew’s outreach wasn’t the only way younger freethinkers made their presence felt at this year’s convention. Some of the most inspiring moments came from the remarkable young activists and students FFRF recognized for their achievements.
Among them was Ash Bu, a Harvard College student studying philosophy and mathematics who received FFRF’s 2026 Percy B. Shelley Student Activist Award, which included a $2,000 prize. Ash earned the recognition for her article in The Harvard Crimson, “Where Are All the Atheists Hiding?” which called for greater visibility and public discussion of Harvard’s largest religious affiliation: the religiously unaffiliated, or “Nones.”
She also serves as president of the Harvard Community of Humanists, Atheists and Agnostics, a position to which she was appointed by the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard & MIT. Her work demonstrates that younger nonbelievers aren’t simply questioning religion privately. They’re challenging assumptions, organizing communities and making their voices heard.
We also celebrated Nyla Woods, 21, who received the $3,500 first-place prize in FFRF’s 2026 David Hudak Memorial First-in-Family Essay Contest for her essay, “The weaponization of the bible.” Nyla is pursuing a degree in visual communications at the University of Kansas and hopes to become a comic creator, concept artist and animated feature screenwriter. Additionally, she volunteers at a nonprofit bookstore that helps make books and literacy more accessible.
Her passion for storytelling reminds us that secular advocacy doesn’t have to look just one way. Art, creativity and storytelling can be powerful tools for challenging harmful ideas and inspiring change.
Another honoree, Isaiah Lopez Ruiz, 21, received the $3,000 second-place prize in the same competition for his essay, “U.S. is not an ethno-theocracy.” A first-generation college student attending Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona, Isaiah is pursuing honors coursework while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He serves in student leadership, has participated in voter outreach and worked as a poll worker, and hopes to attend law school.
As an FFRF attorney who has spent the last decade defending the separation of church and state, I find it especially encouraging to see young people like Isaiah interested in pursuing legal careers and standing up for constitutional principles.
These students represent just a few examples of the extraordinary young people already making an impact.
In fact, FFRF awarded a collective $81,500 in scholarships through its 2026 student essay competitions, supporting students willing to think critically, challenge religious privilege and speak out for secular values.
Through our five annual student essay competitions, FFRF encourages students at different stages of their education, from graduating high school seniors to law students, to examine issues involving religion, government and freethought. These scholarships are about more than financial support; they’re an investment in the next generation of thinkers, writers, advocates and leaders.
And after meeting some of these remarkable young people in Milwaukee, I’m more confident than ever that the future of our movement is in good hands.
Turning enthusiasm into lasting involvement
The significance of bringing younger people to the convention extends far beyond attendance numbers. For someone who has recently left religion, grown up in a deeply religious environment or struggled to find other nonbelievers, attending a gathering like this can be transformative.
It can be the first time they’ve been surrounded by hundreds of people who understand their experiences and share their values.
It can also be the moment they realize that being an atheist or agnostic doesn’t have to be just a personal identity. It can be an opportunity to become part of something bigger.
There are organizations to join, friendships to build, causes to support and real opportunities to make a difference.
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate most about working at FFRF is our members’ incredible dedication. Many have spent decades fighting to protect the separation between state and church, often long before doing so was popular or easy.
Their commitment built the organization we have today. And seeing those longtime supporters interacting with a new generation of passionate freethinkers reminded me that the movement they helped build is continuing to grow and evolve.
We need that experience and institutional knowledge. We also need new ideas, new voices and new ways of reaching people.
The Milwaukee convention showed what happens when we bring all of that together.
I’m grateful to Drew for helping introduce so many new people to FFRF, to our longtime members for continuing to support our work and to the young activists who are already stepping up to carry the movement forward.
After another year of difficult battles over religious freedom and the separation of church and state, I left Milwaukee feeling something we could all use a little more of.
Hope for the future.