Testimonials
Aurore Trignat
My name is Aurore Trignat, I am 35 years old, a mother of two young children, and an entrepreneur in the family real estate development business of the same name. I participated in the Tocqueville Fellowship in July 2018. At that time, I was working as a technical advisor to Laurent Wauquiez in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
What inspired you to apply for the Tocqueville Fellowship, and what did you hope to accomplish?
The Tocqueville Fellowship was a fantastic experience to better understand the keys to political influence and see how it permeates all aspects of society through politics, economics, and social matters.
Shifting societal paradigms doesn’t solely depend on strict electoral political engagement but requires the entire social body. To drive change and progress, we need front-runners in all layers of society promoting the ideas we support.
Can you describe one of the most memorable experiences you had during your stay in Washington, D.C.?
Many experiences left a mark on me. I will highlight three:
- The visit to the NRA headquarters was quite powerful. As a French person, we often have a fixed idea about gun ownership, and I am no exception. However, this experience helped me understand the American perspective on gun ownership. With hindsight, I think that France would be quite defenseless if a part of society were to simultaneously secede against its institutions and citizens. Would the state alone be able to defend itself and protect its citizens? In the United States, each citizen doesn’t solely rely on the state for protection.
- The visit to Fox News.
- The visit to the House of Representatives at the Capitol and the meeting with Senator Ted Cruz.
What were the main lessons from your fellowship that had an impact on your personal and professional life?
The influence of political ideas is effective when it permeates all strata of life and people’s daily routines. With political events (like elections) generating less interest among the youth, political and ideological issues must be addressed and promoted throughout society to be genuinely supported by political decision-makers.
Businesses have a significant role to play in preventing the dominance of woke, multicultural, and deconstructed visions.
How did the fellowship facilitate networking opportunities, and could you share how these connections have helped you in your career?
From the Tocqueville Fellowship, I have retained friends and people I know I can call upon for discussions on political strategy, despite our differences.
What specific skills did you develop during the fellowship that are useful in your current role?
Adaptability and the ability to better defend my convictions.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone considering applying for the Tocqueville Fellowship?
Remain confident that you can contribute to the moral and ideological revival of France by drawing inspiration from American techniques, even if you are not or are no longer involved in “active” politics in your daily life.
Looking back, how has the Tocqueville Fellowship influenced your professional trajectory?
I truly learned that one can influence the ideological trajectory of their country everywhere, especially by joining the private sector.
If you had to summarize your Tocqueville Fellowship experience in a few words, what would they be?
AMAZING
