Student Spotlight: Madilynn Pate

Madilynn Pate is the new undergraduate office assistant at the Heravi Peace Institute. She is a second-year student majoring in Political Science, minoring in Anticipatory Intelligence, and earning a certificate in Global Peacebuilding. Her interests include the relationship between religion, government, and politics, protecting and engaging with the flourishing of people and the planet, and how communities rebuild after atrocities. Over the summer of 2026, she went on the HPI’s study abroad to Rwanda to learn about
genocide, peacebuilding, and reconciliation. During her first year at USU, she participated in planning and organizing a Veritas forum to discuss hope in the midst of conflict from different belief’s perspectives. She also developed research skills in American Public Opinion, with her research on Christian and Atheist policy positions. As a high school student, she went to Washington D.C with the Center for Christianity in Public Life as part of the inaugural cohort of the Public Good Generation where she learned more about how faith can affect public life, grew in leadership skills, and connected with civic leaders. Madilynn is excited to learn new skills and connect with new people in this position as she continues her studies. She is passionate about the work that HPI is doing, building peace internationally to intra-personally through engaging with conflict in positive ways, and is eager to work with and learn from the institute”