After finding success in the classroom and on the wrestling mats before graduating from Pitman High School in 2015, Cristian Clementi had never thought his future life in college would lead to a career in politics. Like many folks, he kept tabs with the news cycle and had his opinions but never got involved.

That was until 2016, when Clementi joined the fast-growing conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA while attending Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. Nearly a decade later, the 28-year-old finds himself living in Washington, D.C., and serving as a special assistant in the Office for Civil Rights in the United States Department of Education.

“It’s a pretty cool experience, and to be honest, it’s one that I really didn’t think would happen just a couple of years ago,” Clementi said. “It’s such a different lifestyle and such a major change of pace, so I'm learning every day. There are a lot of really neat opportunities all around D.C., and it’s been exciting to be here and figure out how things work around here and to continue to meet more people and serve them.”

Clementi was sworn in on March 31 and has helped with daily operations, which includes attending meetings, researching data, analyzing federal funding and assisting with strategic initiatives.

“Man, you live and die on the calendar, I must say,” he joked. “You have to check the calendar, check your email right off the bat, as soon as you get up. I mean, just look at the news and you’ll see there's always something happening every day regarding education, so each day there's just something new and sometimes you don’t know what to expect. It’s kind of bumping in there.

“I'm from Turlock, California, found my way to Miami, and now I'm in D.C. doing this job, so it's crazy.”

Clementi has been making those moves across the country under the wing of Turning Point USA and its founder, conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. In fact, it was Kirk who approached Clementi with the prospect of serving in President Donald Trump’s administration.

“Me and Charlie go way back to when I first met him in 2017 when Turning Point was in its earlier stages,” Clementi said of the popular and polarizing Kirk. “He’s the one who believed that I could serve in a greater capacity in politics with the administration. I sat down, talked with him, and he emphasized that this is a place where I could succeed in and thrive in as an important part of the administration. He really entrusted me with that, and I’m eternally grateful for all the opportunities that he's given me up until this point.”

For the past nine years, Clementi has served in a variety of roles with Turning Point USA, first as a member at GCU, then working with their events team to book speakers. He later became an on-campus recruiter before serving as chapter vice president and president. After graduating in 2019, he moved to Florida to work full-time as a manager to continue growing the group’s presence in the high school scene.

Since then, the organization has expanded its presence on over 3,500 college and high school campuses. They have over 1,000 established high school chapters and over 800 college chapters. There are currently TPUSA groups established at Turlock Christian and Pitman high schools, as well as at Stanislaus State.

The mission of Turning Point USA, an organization that has been celebrated by conservatives while also having been criticized alongside Kirk for their sometimes brash dialogue with those on the left side of the aisle, is “to empower informed civic and cultural engagement grounded in American exceptionalism and a positive spirit of action” through “development of knowledge, skills, values and motivation, so they can meaningfully engage in their communities to restore traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family, and fiscal responsibility,” according to their website.

So, how did Clementi — a young man never outspoken about politics — establish himself as a power player in the fastest-growing campus organization in the nation, and one that has become so prominent among today’s conservative landscape?

“Interacting with thousands of college and high school students over the years, I saw similar stories to mine where a lot of people have a genuine interest in politics, and nobody ever really wants to take it forward to the next level or ask, ‘What can I do? How do I get involved?’ Most people like to watch and see and just be a bystander,” he said. “But for me, I really felt compelled. I went to college at GCU and came back home to Turlock (before the 2016 election), and looked around me and places nearby… I saw people causing problems on campuses, having a lot of hostility towards others with different opinions. You know, people are always going to have opinions and say things you may not like, but that doesn't mean you can beat them up for it or destroy property and hurt people. I’m a big believer in free speech, so I found it all kind of ridiculous. That really drove me to get involved.”

While he now finds himself working under high-profile figures like Education Secretary Linda McMahon and, of course, Donald Trump, Clementi’s favorite part of his new job in the nation’s capital is meeting, listening and working with citizens from all walks of life with varying beliefs.

“When serving the American public, there are a lot of different people all around that you come in contact with and that you may not know. But everybody has a story. Every person is very unique. It's probably one of the most neat and gratifying things, to see so many different people, so many different experiences from across the country. It’s what makes America what it is.”

Despite climbing the ladder of American politics, Clementi is unsure what his future will hold.

“I’ve only been at this for about three months, and I never expected to be here today,” he said. “I can’t really say for certain what’s in store for me. I’m just along for this ride, navigating life in DC, where the work here is so important. I’m enjoying it.

“I'm just grateful for the support from my friends, family, my wife, just everybody around me. It's been a heck of a ride. There’s been a lot of support from back home, and that doesn't go unnoticed by me at all. It’s helped a lot, especially jumping to Arizona, moving to Florida and now here. It’s been big for me.”

As for the biggest challenge he has faced thus far?

“Going to office jobs, being in a suit and tie from 9-to-5, especially in the summertime, has definitely been an adjustment,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been hard, man. I’m struggling some days, but we’re getting through it. We’re doing alright.”