Earlier in the fall semester, Birmingham-Southern senior Robyn Gulley was told to block off her calendar for Nov. 20, but she had no idea why. On Nov. 19, she found out she’d be getting a first-hand look at history in the making.

Gulley, along with several other college students involved with Woke Vote (including her twin sister, Randi), attended the Nov. 20 Democratic National Committee Debate in Atlanta. Her work with Woke Vote, a Birmingham-based grassroots movement to mobilize black voters, gave Gulley the chance to work the event, where she checked in VIP guests like Martin Luther King III and Rev. Al Sharpton.

“All of it was so cool because I wasn’t even 50 feet from who may be our next president,” says Gulley, a political science major who loved being immersed in the debate topics.

Since her sophomore year at BSC, Gulley has been involved in the organization’s projects, including their door-to-door visits to encourage voter turnout in Alabama’s 2017 Senate election. All of Woke Vote’s projects, in Alabama and beyond, help unregistered and historically disengaged people get to the polls.

After the debate, the students got the chance to meet former Vice President Joe Biden, a 2020 presidential candidate. Gulley spoke to Biden about his letter to his 12-year-old self, and Biden brought up a few moments from his childhood that stick out to him:

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Many of her friends and members of the BSC community tell Gulley that, one day, she’ll be standing at the podium during a presidential debate. Through her work with Woke Vote and her position as president of BSC’s Black Student Union, she has shown tremendous leadership as a student and citizen.

“I know I want to run for public office one day, and, hopefully, I’ll work my way up,” she says.

In September, Gulley brought Woke Vote, National Urban League Young Professionals, and the BSU together to host an on-campus National Voter Registration Day event. Student volunteers helped peers fill out registration paperwork, and Gulley spoke about the importance of voting on 95.7 JAMZ.

Since becoming the BSU president during her junior year, Gulley has pushed the organization to become more active than ever before. She’s also created the community she looked for early in her college career.

“We’ve been able to forge a family bond so we can extend that atmosphere to others,” she says. “I’ve watched the BSU turn into something special. People are passionate about it and willing to invest.”

For the remainder of her senior year, Gulley has many events in the works. The BSU will continue hosting Black Table Talks, events during Black History Month, and other socials and parties. They will also partner with BSC’s Black Alumni Group and Black Women’s Union for different events.

Through her experience with Woke Vote, Gulley has seen students from historically black colleges and universities as well as predominately white institutions come together to empower voters, and she hopes to see more BSC students get involved in community service projects around Birmingham.

“I was longing for an organization that was building a community,” she says. “The BSU gave me a family away from home. I am a senior, but we believe that these seeds we’ve been planting will continue to blossom.”