Our Story & Giving Back

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How I became a tee shirt Salesperson!

The idea started as a joke during the summer of 2020. Sitting in our yard in a beautiful neighborhood with some friends (six feet apart, of course), we could hear the sirens of the emergency vehicles all around us. The riots here in Chicago were in full bloom. The cry for “defunding the police” was getting louder by the day. I jokingly suggested it would be better for our country to defund higher education rather than the police! After some banter back and forth, we came up with the phrase “Make America Wise Again … Defund Higher Education”. I said we should have shirts made with that slogan on them. Everyone agreed this would be a big hit. 

With encouragement from friends and family, the idea begun to seriously develop into a business. I decided that for each shirt sold, we would donate one dollar to Hillsdale College. Hillsdale does not take any money from the federal government and their students do not take federal loans or grants. They believe the sound philosophy that “the liberal arts should be dedicated to stimulating students’ intellectual curiosity, to encouraging the critical, well-disciplined mind, and to fostering personal growth through academic challenge.”

The more we learned about the federal funding of colleges and universities (in its many different forms), the more we realized that this is no laughing matter. While there is a lot of scholarly literature exploring this subject, much of it is hard to find. As we developed our products, it seemed imperative to include articles and links on our website that would allow others to learn about the real extent of the problem. Our goal is to be an important resource for those who want to become (and stay) informed on the state of higher education in America.

My wife and I have sacrificed quite a bit to make sure our four children (24-33 years old) had the opportunity to attend college, including taking on more debt than I care to admit.  Long and important discussions among the 6 of us ensued, and all of us decided that a liberal arts field of study was best … it teaches one how to think and learn, not what to think and learn. Most importantly, it imparts the wisdom to know the best way to use the knowledge gained. Unfortunately, most students today graduate indoctrinated with what to think by their professors and college communities. This in turn develops an incapacity to think objectively and think critically … especially when it is contrary to the narratives they were taught, prompting a true confrontational stance instead of measured and thoughtful conversations.

My sincere hope is to raise awareness, through our products and website, of a top problem in America today, with long-range damage already happening: Our higher education system is failing to educate our young generations in a way that allows real freedom with the critical thinking to do what’s right and have a unified country. Our parallel goal is to also raise money for Veterans and other worthy causes, and in support of Hillsdale College — one of the best liberal arts education examples that we know — and how critical it is to the future of our great nation.

Spread the word, and thank you for being part of our journey!

Michael Brick
A Proud and Concerned American Citizen   

MAWA is adamant about extending our generosity into a number of directions. We’ve selected two significant organizations to support, crossing boundaries and societal concerns: The future of America’s higher education, and helping Veterans re-enter civilian life with stability.

Hillsdale College

One dollar from every shirt sold will be donated to Hillsdale College! Holding true to their original mission statement, Hillsdale is one of only a handful of colleges in America that does not take government funding in any form so that the freedom to teach is not controlled by the government in thought OR finance. We advocate their mission wholeheartedly and see them as a light for the right direction of our nation’s future. Join the Movement!

Quality of Life for Veterans

Veterans have given so much and deserve a better quality of life than what our current state of government is willing to provide. Mike donates time and funds to organizations where he sees the most urgent need … out of his own pocket and heart. This is an ongoing, never-ending cause that he will never cease to support. In fact, Mike is committed to donating 10% of MAWA’s profits annually to helping Veterans in need. Let us know if you’re interested in finding out more!