University of Notre Dame junior Alex Young has been named a 2025 Truman Scholar. He is the University’s 13th Truman Scholar since 2010, a group that includes three Rhodes Scholars: Alex Coccia (’14), Christa Grace Watkins (’17) and Prathm Juneja (’20).

Young is among 54 students from 49 U.S. colleges and universities honored with the award. The selection process is highly competitive, taking into account applicants’ academic, leadership and service records and their likelihood of success in graduate school.

"Notre Dame's Class of 2026 really blew me away this year, and I am so happy for Alex to receive the recognition he absolutely deserves,” said Elise Rudt-Moorthy, associate director of National Fellowships with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) at Notre Dame. “Alex has demonstrated a conviction to improve critical aspects of life for Kentuckians like physical safety and civil rights, and we are lucky to have him represent our campus as a Truman Scholar."

A former Hesburgh Democracy Fellow, Young, from Kentucky, is a political science major with minors in public service and constitutional studies.

Around campus, he is co-president and co-lead of the Student Policy Network; co-president of the College Democrats; a resident counselor with Notre Dame Pre-College Programs; a columnist for the student newspaper, The Observer; and a volunteer for ND Listens. He is a former member of BridgeND, and he participated in Notre Dame RISE as a first-year student.

Away from campus, he is a member of the board of directors of the United States Alliance to End the Hitting of Children and co-founder and leader of the Sister Thea Bowman Society for Racial Justice, serving underrepresented members of the Louisville community through service and policy advocacy. He has served as an intern in the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division since January.

Active in local, state and federal politics, he previously interned at the White House and for the Indiana Democratic Party. He also served as a political consulting and mayoral campaign associate to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.

Truman Scholars participate in an internship and training program in Washington, D.C., the summer before graduate school. Young, a longtime advocate for persons with disabilities, will pursue work with the American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights.

Looking ahead to graduate school, he plans to pursue a law degree from Georgetown Law and then return to his hometown of Louisville and serve as deputy chief of staff in the mayor’s office.

Ultimately, he plans to enter politics in order to advance health, education and civil rights in Kentucky, first as a state representative and later as a member of Congress.

“Since my initial exposure to public service in my efforts to end corporal punishment in Kentucky schools, I have come to appreciate the role I can play in improving communities throughout Kentucky and beyond,” Young said. “The incredible network and resources of the Truman Foundation will allow me to further this passion for service. I am grateful for the guidance of Elise Rudt-Moorthy, the team at CUSE, Dr. Claudia Francis, Dr. Sandra Gustafson and all of the mentors who helped me throughout this process.

“I look forward to utilizing the Truman Scholarship and my Notre Dame education in a way that decreases gun violence in Louisville, improves outcomes for Kentuckians with disabilities and promotes civil rights more broadly.”

Rudt-Moorthy thanked those involved in the award.

“Special thanks to Jeffrey Thibert, Emily Hunt, Gregory Miller, Claudia Francis, Sandra Gustafson, Jim Wayne, Chloe Gibbs, Jill Seyfred, Emily Morgan, Duncan Teater, Mike Ward, Sara Clark, Barbara Sexton Smith, Mike Schmuhl and Becca Blais for their hard work and assistance during the application process,” she said. “Members of this group reviewed for the nomination process, wrote recommendation letters for Alex, sent in thoughtful quotes for the nomination letter and served as his practice interviewers. Their time and efforts to help Alex were greatly appreciated.”

Established as a living memorial to former President Harry S. Truman, as well as a national monument to public service, The Truman Scholarship seeks to support and inspire the next generation of public services leaders.

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.