Auburn University senior named Alabama’s 2026 James Madison Fellow, among few nationwide to receive teaching honor involving American history, government

Shaped by hands-on teaching experiences, close faculty mentorship and a deep commitment to civic education, Auburn College of Education senior Katie Jett has been named Alabama’s 2026 James Madison Fellow, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for future teachers of American history and government.

Jett, a secondary education major in the College of Education who has also taken extensive coursework through the College of Liberal Arts, is the only fellow selected from Alabama and one of a small number chosen nationwide. Awarded by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, the fellowship provides up to $24,000 in graduate funding and supports aspiring secondary educators dedicated to teaching the U.S. Constitution, American history and government.

The James Madison Fellowship is widely regarded as America’s most prestigious award in constitutional history and government for secondary teachers and includes a commitment to teach at the secondary level following completion of graduate study.

For Jett, a native of Moulton, Alabama, the fellowship represents both a personal milestone and a validation of the interdisciplinary preparation she received through Auburn’s colleges of Education and Liberal Arts — where pedagogy, content expertise and civic inquiry intersect.

“It is hard to put into words what this fellowship means to me,” Jett said. “All throughout college, I put an incredible amount of pressure on myself to excel academically, likely to a fault. I have sent countless emails to professors, frequented office hours and skipped certain events because I had to study or write a paper. This award feels like the stress, effort and occasional tears are all worth it.”

A calling shaped by history

Jett said her passion for social studies education began long before college.

“I had a teacher, Mr. Vanderploeg, who made history come alive and made learning fun,” she said. “During the same year, I had the opportunity to meet Holocaust Survivor Eva Kor. Those experiences worked in tandem to make history seem both engaging and tangible to me.”

That early interest evolved into a sustained focus on Constitutional literacy and civic responsibility — values reinforced through Auburn’s social science education curriculum and content-rich coursework that emphasized governmental systems, civic engagement and historical inquiry.

“In order to ‘secure the blessings of liberty,’ we must be informed of the liberties that our Constitution grants us,” Jett said. “As a future educator, I cannot wait to impart knowledge about our liberties to the next generation. I will continually strive to be a great teacher that allows students to see the excitement that history has to offer.”

A hallmark of Auburn’s social science education program is its cohort-based structure, designed to foster collaboration, discussion and confidence before students ever enter their own classrooms.

“The best part about my program is the community structure embedded,” Jett said. “My cohort consists of 14 people, and we take all of our education classes together.”

Within the College of Education, students gradually assume greater instructional responsibility — moving from lesson planning and peer teaching to full classroom leadership. Jett said that intentional design helped her grow as an educator while building lasting relationships.

“Teaching alongside our friends was less stressful than trying to learn how to teach by ourselves,” she said.

That preparation culminated in Jett’s student teaching placement at Sanford Middle School, where she taught eighth-graders ancient world history and gained practical experience that reaffirmed her career path.

“Overwhelmingly so, students are still kind, still curious, still crave affirmation and still want to make their teachers proud,” Jett said. “My sweet internship students have allowed me to feel at peace with my decision to pursue a career in the classroom.”

Jett’s academic work — spanning both education and liberal arts coursework — has consistently reflected Auburn’s emphasis on relevance, inquiry and student voice. In an honors course rooted in social science inquiry, she designed and completed an oral history research project addressing political polarization and civic disengagement.

“Far too often, history is only told from above,” she said. “I want to show my students that they are contributing to history. With that, their story matters, and that their voices deserve to be heard.”

The 20-minute documentary she produced, centered on personal experiences surrounding Sept. 11, will become a recurring teaching tool in her future classroom, connecting historical events to empathy, unity and civic responsibility.

A heart of gratitude

Jett credited Auburn faculty across both colleges for encouraging her growth as a scholar and educator — from foundational political science and history courses to applied teaching experiences and student teaching supervision.

“I am not naive enough to believe that I could have achieved this fellowship on my own,” she said. “My heart is full of gratitude for the people who have helped me on my academic journey.”

She added, “I am beyond excited to be named the 2026 Alabama James Madison Fellow. I cannot wait to study under world-renowned Constitutional scholars at the 2027 James Madison Summer Institute at Georgetown University. I am confident that Auburn University prepared me well to take on the academic rigor that the James Madison Fellowship requires.”

Following graduation, Jett will remain at Auburn to pursue a Master of Education, continuing her focus on early American history and government. Her long-term goal is to teach in a Title I school, where she hopes to serve as both educator and mentor.

“As a social science educator, I desire to mold the next generation of productive citizens,” she said. “As a human, my ultimate goal is to spread joy and love to students who need it most.”

Reflecting on her Auburn experience, Jett said the collaborative spirit shared across the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts helped shape her academically and personally.

“Auburn is big enough to explore new opportunities, but small enough to feel right at home,” she said.