Stephanie Lundquist-Arora has been pushing back on education indoctrination since the beginning of the pandemic, a reality many parents began waking up to during the lockdowns of 2020 (and beyond). While the Fairfax County, VA Public Schools (FCPS) ignored the rights of students to return to a normal childhood experience, Stephanie was standing against the fray for the health and safety of her three sons.
“I got involved with IWN during the masking wars in schools. My three sons were suspended for a cumulative total of 39 days for not wearing masks to school after Governor Glenn Youngking (R – VA) gave students permission to remove them.”
It wasn’t long after her sons were attacked for exercising their right to breathe freely that Stephanie found herself in need of allies like the Independent Women’s Network (IWN).
“I became more aware that public schools are increasingly teaching our children what to think instead of how to think. I quickly realized that my concerns and objectives aligned with IWN – and that the organization is a fantastic resource and composed of wonderful women.”
Stephanie launched the Fairfax County, VA Chapter in September of 2022. The Chapter, which has grown to 65 members, exists to raise awareness about what is happening in public schools and to advocate for quality education and school choice initiatives.
Stephanie says, “I feel that we collectively need to fight harder to keep our country free for our children, grandchildren and their children. Vaccines and masks should always have been about choice. Speech should not be restricted. Publicly subsidized education is about math, reading, writing, and science. Pushing a political agenda or a religious agenda on public school students is wrong. We need to educate our children, not indoctrinate them.”
As a constitutionalist, libertarian and strong supporter of the Bill of Rights, Stephanie’s political focus has consistently been on freedom and individual rights. While the salience of concerning issues in our country has changed over time, she remains firm in her values. Most of Stephanie’s advocacy work focuses on education but she sees other challenges threatening the safety of the families in our country.
“The most dangerous issue facing our country today is the continued invasion at our southern border. Under the Biden administration, our immigration system is broken and the floodgates have opened. Rather than vetting our newcomers – whether they be economic migrants, asylum seekers under true distress, or refugees fleeing war-torn countries – we have invited and opened our doors to the worst criminal offenders from other countries and are paying for their stay in more ways than one.”
Another concern of Stephanie’s is the government’s encroachment on citizens’ rights. Stephanie affirms Ronald Reagan’s infamous quote that emphasizes the delicate nature of freedom: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
There is no doubt Stephanie’s children will be ready to take the baton of her hard work and fight to protect their generation’s freedom.
In addition to being the Chapter Leader of one of the largest IWN Chapters in the country, Stephanie leads the conversation in IWN’s virtual chapter on Effective Engagement in K-12 Schools. The Chapter meets monthly to provide tools, resources, and tactics to help members improve their child’s school. It is a virtual space for members to share specifically what’s happening at their schools and in their communities so they will know how to get started in making lasting change.
Not only does Stephanie share her voice as a published author, she writes for The Federalist and The Washington Examiner and has been published in several others. Stephanie is a frequent guest on major news outlets such as Fox News and Newsmax.
But Stephanie doesn’t just write about her message, she takes action by testifying at the (FCPS) board meetings as much as possible.
While advocacy work is a priority for Stephanie, she loves spending time with her family whether paddle boarding, traveling or trying new foods together. Her sons participate in a variety of sports and activities. She and her husband appreciate the opportunities to volunteer in their sons’ leagues and cheer for them on the sidelines.
When it comes to taking time for herself, Stephanie says, “I adore spending quality time and laughing with great friends, reading, running, learning jiu-jitsu, and from time-to-time…just watching television.”
