Auburn Student Selected for Henry Clay Center’s College Student Congress

Vivian Gates, a junior majoring in law and justice with a minor in German with the College of Liberal Arts, has been selected to represent Alabama at the Henry Clay Center’s College Student Congress, a highly competitive, two-week leadership and public policy program that selects only one student per state.

A native of Greenville, Alabama, Gates is among a national cohort of high-achieving students chosen to engage in hands-on legislative simulation, policy debate and civic leadership training in Lexington, Kentucky and Washington, D.C. Her selection marks the second consecutive year an Auburn student from the political science department has been chosen for the program, a distinction Gates sees as a reflection of Auburn’s academic strength.

Coming from rural Alabama without political connections, Gates said the opportunity felt both unexpected and deeply affirming. “With a future in public policy, I see this opportunity as a step toward becoming a more informed and empathetic leader. I am proud to represent the state of Alabama, Auburn University and the small-town community that shaped me alongside other high-achieving students from across the country,” said Gates.

At a time when political division often dominates public discourse, Gates believes the program’s emphasis on civil dialogue and compromise is especially important for students. “Being open-minded to diverse perspectives and working toward shared understanding are skills critical for leadership and conversation, both in personal and professional life,” said Gates.

During the two-week experience, Gates is looking forward to stepping outside her comfort zone by tackling complex policy work while learning about the legacy of Henry Clay — a mid-nineteenth-century senator from Kentucky known as the “Great Compromiser”—and engaging with congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. Beyond the academic experience, she is most excited about the relationships the program encourages—connecting with students she has never met, learning from their varied backgrounds and building lasting networks grounded in shared purpose.

Gates’ passion for policy is rooted in her own experiences growing up in a Title I public school, where she witnessed firsthand the impact of unequal access to educational resources. Those experiences sparked a commitment to education policy and a long-term goal of becoming an educator and advocate for underfunded schools in Alabama. She sees the College Student Congress as a meaningful step toward that future, offering a firsthand look at the policymaking process alongside national leaders and like-minded peers.

For other students who might hesitate to pursue opportunities that feel out of reach, Gates offered simple advice: don’t count yourself out. She encourages students to let their passion for change guide them and to apply—even when self-doubt creeps in. “Find what you are passionate about changing in our nation and let that drive you,” said Gates.

The Henry Clay Center works with current and future leaders to honestly, critically and intelligently reflect on matters of national significance; debate the merits of those issues, and ultimately find the strength of character needed to arrive at a compromise and solve the problems that hinder America’s process of continual improvement for all Americans.

For more information on this scholarship and other National Prestigious Scholarships, students are encouraged to visit the Honors College website and contact Benjamin Fagan, assistant director for National Prestigious Scholarships.