Cornerstone President Reflects on Freedom and Citizenship in Washington Examiner
“I fled communism. Now I can’t wait to vote”: Cornerstone president featured in Washington Examiner
Cornerstone University President Gerson Moreno-Riaño vividly recounts his family’s escape from communist revolutionary violence in Colombia and his journey to American citizenship in his Oct. 24 Washington Examiner op-ed, “I Fled Communism. Now I Can’t Wait to Vote.” Writing for the national publication, which reports reaching more than 2 million readers monthly, he warns of communism’s devastating human cost and calls Americans to defend their God-given freedoms through active citizenship.
“Their promise was justice and equality. The delivery was kidnapping, massacre, and fear. That is not a theory to me. It is a memory.”
Forty-six years after arriving in America and nearly 35 years after becoming a citizen, Moreno-Riaño urges Americans to vote and take responsibility for serving their neighbors. “Of everything citizenship offered me, the vote was what I wanted most.”
His defense of American liberty is grounded in Biblical truth: human dignity and freedom come from God, not government. He also calls for the courage to defend truth without hatred and for friendship across political disagreements.
President Moreno-Riaño recalls Jean Groff, a stranger who welcomed his family to America, taught his parents English and introduced their children to the arts and literature. Her example of Christian love and civic friendship continues to influence his vision for Cornerstone University.
“At Cornerstone, we are not training spectators. We are forming men and women who know why they are free, who will vote and serve and build, and who will be a Jean Groff to someone who needs one.”
Read President Moreno-Riaño’s full op-ed in the Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner | Oct. 24, 2026
