The Steamboat Institute Announces Caroline Downey and Mene Ukueberuwa as 2026-27 Steamboat Institute Fellows

Steamboat Springs, CO: The Steamboat Institute is proud to announce that Caroline Downey, a columnist at National Review, and Mene Ukueberuwa, politics editor at The Free Press, have been named the 2026-27 Steamboat Institute Fellows for Public Policy and American Exceptionalism. This prestigious fellowship, created to honor the legacy of the late journalist Tony Blankley, will be officially awarded at the Steamboat Institute’s 18th Annual Freedom Conference, taking place on August 28-29, 2026, in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Caroline Downey is a columnist and video personality at National Review and a senior fellow at Independent Women’s Forum. She is a former Publius Fellow with the Claremont Institute and a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow with The Fund for American Studies. She previously served as editor-in-chief of The Conservateur. Her writing has appeared in the New York Post, Newsweek, the Washington Examiner, and The Telegraph, and she is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business, and other networks. She holds degrees in Economics and Political Science from Boston College.

Quote from Caroline Downey:

“The Steamboat Institute stands apart by cultivating the next generation of communicators who can vigorously defend the free market and our Constitution. I am thrilled and honored to participate in this crucial program and to help carry the torch of the great Tony Blankley.“

Mene Ukueberuwa is the politics editor at The Free Press. He previously served as a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board, where he focused on labor, politics, and related issues, and held earlier roles as an editorial page writer and assistant editorial features editor at the Journal. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, City Journal, The New Criterion, and elsewhere.

Quote from Mene Ukueberuwa:

“I am extremely grateful that Steamboat Institute’s board and selection committee decided to choose me. I’m excited to do all I can to make the most of the appearances I gain through the fellowship. Each day, I’ll do my best to gain some ground in the battles that are shaping politics today.”

The Steamboat Institute Fellowship supports and nurtures the careers of outstanding young journalists and emerging thought leaders who embody the principles and values championed by The Steamboat Institute. Our current Fellows have exemplified these ideals through their rigorous reporting, clear-eyed commentary, and commitment to American exceptionalism, free and open inquiry, and civil debate. We look forward to Caroline Downey and Mene Ukueberuwa continuing this important legacy.

About Steamboat Institute:

The Steamboat Institute was founded in 2008 to promote America’s first principles: limited government, limited taxation and fiscal responsibility, individual rights and responsibilities, free market capitalism, and strong national defense.