Written By Lexx Thornton
Junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been selected as a 2025-26 Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Human Rights’ John Lewis Young Leaders (JLYL) program fellow.
T. Olu Rouse, an Honor College economics and political science double-major from Raleigh, North Carolina, will join 15 students from public and private universities nationwide in this year-long fellowship designed to equip undergraduates with skills in community organizing and civic engagement. Rouse was selected from more than 550 applicants nationwide, following Khelsei Dorsett-Wilson ’25 to become the second North Carolina A&T student selected for this prestigious fellowship.
Established in 2017 and then restructured in 2022, the JLYL program honors the legacy of the late civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. Throughout the span of this program, JLYL Fellows engage their campus and local communities in human rights work through a capstone project.
Fellows receive resources and support to ensure their success in the program, including access to comprehensive grassroots organizing workshops, 1:1 mentorship from RFK Human Rights staff, financial support, and access to an extensive network of human rights professionals, peers, and program alumni.
Rouse, a February One Scholar, serves as president of the Aggie Economic Association, vice president of A&T’s Political Science Society, and senior lead of the Civic Engagement Coalition, where he secured $5,000 in grant funding to expand voter engagement efforts. He also founded and led the university’s challenge team, guiding peers in developing federal budget plans and monetary policy recommendations. In addition, he serves as a fiscal lookout with the Concord Coalition, leading budget simulations to teach fiscal responsibility, and has completed fellowships with both the Roosevelt Network and Forge Fellowship.
“As a February One Scholar and John Lewis Young Leaders Fellow, representing N.C. A&T in this fellowship means continuing the legacy of social justice on HBCU campuses,” said Rouse. “My fight is similar to both the A&T Four and John Lewis. I am fighting for equitable access to resources for marginalized communities in the face of harmful policies.”
As a JLYL Fellow, Rouse will travel to college campuses across North Carolina to lead interactive budget simulations that help students understand local, state, and federal fiscal policy.
“I am very passionate about the potential for fiscal policy, budgets, and taxes to be used to create racial and economic justice within North Carolina, the United States, and society as a whole,” he said. “Following the budget simulations, I will empower students to advocate at their local city council meetings for the budget and tax reforms that they want to see in their communities.”
Rouse serves his state and local communities through research, leadership, and sharing resources. He is also an advocate for a progressive tax system that can fund racial equity policies and programs that aim to end economic racial disparities. He completed an internship with the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships, where he conducted policy research on prison labor, early childhood education, and state government practices. As a youth advisor for Feed My Sheep, a food pantry serving Durham, North Carolina, he coordinates food distribution, social media outreach, and events that connect families with resources on food security, health, and voter registration.
Rouse aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in economics, blending the roles of an economist and community organizer for economic and racial justice. He looks to use his research to advocate for policies that will take reparative action and embrace progressive revenue systems that rehabilitate communities and establish fair election processes.
A&T students, like Rouse, and alumni receive support from NCAT Extraordinary Opportunities, which coordinates national scholarships and fellowships, to apply for competitive and prestigious programs.
