Beyond the Ballot: Audrey Lee

The Humans of Mays Business School series highlights excerpts from conversations with exceptional individuals at Mays who make a lasting impact through their leadership, drive, and dedication. Each story brings to life the diverse journeys, challenges, and triumphs that shape the Mays community. By sharing these unique experiences, we aim to inspire personal and professional growth within our halls and share the origin stories of today’s and tomorrow’s business leaders.

Management senior Audrey Lee ran for and won the Republican nomination for Fort Bend County District Clerk in the spring 2026 primary election. Audrey is a true embodiment of the Aggie Spirit and the leadership skills we cultivate at Mays.

Stepping into Politics

“Running and campaigning’s just been very busy. Most of it has been very fun — it was scary at first, I was very nervous going into all this, but I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable. It’s really just turned into being very busy. I can’t believe the semester is almost over.”

“My family has always, you know, cared deeply about politics and what goes on in the world around us. In 2022, when I started college, I volunteered on a local campaign for county judge and then just kept being involved. I started working for Young Americans For Liberty, which is a student organization that does policy changes and more. I run our chapter here in College Station.”

“When Charlie Kirk passed away, almost every political organization on campus co-hosted the vigil here, and I was one of the speakers there, representing Young Americans For Liberty. After I did that — there were around 3,000 people there, local news coverage — I was invited to speak at a Republican club in Fort Bend County. Everyone was asking me, after I came and spoke… people kept asking me when I was going to run. I still wasn’t going to, but I kind of got that idea in the back of my mind that I actually could. Then later, the opportunity presented itself when I saw that we didn’t have a Republican candidate, and so I stepped up to the plate and it’s worked out pretty well for me.”

Management as a Mindset

“So I lived in Fort Bend County, my parents and I have lived there for a while now and it’s where I went to community college and where I was homeschooled. I have a lot of great experiences there and I really care about the area as it’s growing and changing. Both my parents and some family friends had had some difficulties with the passport office and with jury duty — there were negative customer service experiences all around and as a management major, I care a lot about that. Going further, I found a lot of issues on the attorney side and the judge’s side in that office. There’s just a lot of inefficiencies that slow down the court process on the attorney side of things, so I really cared about changing that for the better and fixing it. It’s great that it’s an elected position, it’s cool that I’m running, but I really just care more about fixing the office. I care more about the job than the campaign.”

“I’ve gotten to meet so many people and I thought I would hate it, honestly. I did not think I’d like meeting all the people. I did not think I’d like meeting other candidates. But it’s been a great experience, I’ve met so many wonderful people and everyone’s so different from the stories that I hear. Every side is fantastic… I think I’ve really grown into a better person through doing this. Our district attorney nominee Shawn McDonald told me one time that because he deals with people in some of the worst situations, he has to see the best in people every day. That really stuck with me, and what stuck with me throughout all of politics is that it gets nasty. People are rude to each other. There’s a lot of unnecessary fighting everywhere. So you have to see the best in people and I’ve gotten really good about that. It’s been a really good journey for me.”

The Reality of the Path

“The hardest part of it all has been seeing how divided people are and how hateful people can be. I think that’s horrible. I don’t think that’s how any of this should be conducted. I think our founding fathers would be ashamed of the way that people conduct themselves politically today. The worst moment was after I won my primary. I ran into one of my old professors from the community college that I transferred from, and I just wanted to tell her hi and let her know that I was running. She told me that she was really disappointed in me, because I was a Republican, and she would never vote for me. I wasn’t there to ask for her vote. I was there to say hi to her. I didn’t care. I don’t ask my friends to vote for me. But that was really hard to hear, and I think it’s just a microcosm of the bigger issue that there’s so much hate on every side of the aisle today.”

“I go to church. I have found myself at church more times in the campaign season than I have in the rest of my college career. I pray, I go to church, and this has also brought me closer to God, which has been a great experience… I’m Greek Orthodox, and during Lent, we had a lot of midweek services that we might not typically have during the rest of the year. That was really nice, being able to go on a Monday evening or a Friday morning, and just spend more time where it’s perfectly at peace and there’s no distractions from the rest of the world.”

Rooted in Mays

“I love Texas A&M. I started community college when I was 15, so my parents weren’t gonna let me go anywhere because I didn’t have a driver’s license. So I had to stay close to home. But we came and toured A&M, and I loved it immediately. I was walking around on campus and I said, ‘This is where I want to be.’ It was the flag room in the MSC that drew me… It’s been incredible. I’ve had so many opportunities at Mays that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere. I think the project, working with the city of Calvert, was just an incredible opportunity that you’re not going to find somewhere else.”

“Mays has taught me a lot. I had some managerial experience before, but this really just sharpened everything that I maybe intuitively knew and gave me words for things. Being on the entrepreneurship and leadership track, I learned so much more than just management, just HR, or just consulting. I’ve learned so much more than just my major and I have knowledge from all of the different business areas through that. Because my track is leadership, a lot of the classes focus on what leadership is and how it works. I think some of it can’t just be taught on paper. Almost all my professors have had real world experience, and that’s what’s been really great, is having professors who have run companies and who can tell their experience, and you learn so much more through that than you would just reading about it in a textbook.”

“One of the things that Mays teaches, and really all of Texas A&M teaches, is the Aggie Core Values, and those are important to take with you anywhere you go. I especially like selfless service. That’s my favorite Aggie Core Value. And I think that has given me a good perspective for the campaign and just a good perspective in leadership in general. That’s very aligned with my Christian faith and I think being a servant leader is something that A&M and Mays really teach and I think it is the way that everyone should approach leadership, really.”

A Legacy for the Next Generation

“The school used to have a policy that prohibited pepper spray and tasers being carried on campus — it prohibited any non-lethal weapons — and so we were able to amend that policy and work with Texas A&M University to, now as it’s being changed, allow pepper sprays and tasers as self-defense items. I’m very happy that I’ve been able to change the policy, protecting student self-defense. I think that’s the best legacy I could leave, is giving young women more of an opportunity to defend themselves and stay safe. I think, in politics, the best legacy I can leave is showing other young people, and even other students, that it’s possible. You can do anything you put your mind to. You’re not too young to care. You’re not too young to make an impact. A lot of older generations like to say that to me — that I’m too young to do anything, to accomplish anything. That’s just not true. Our founding fathers were in their 20s. James Monroe, who went on to be one of our presidents in 1776, was 18 years old. I believe Aaron Burr was 19 years old. Our founding fathers were young, and look at what they were able to accomplish.”

“Once I graduate, I’m going to be campaigning full time. That’s going to be a lot of work, but really rewarding. After this election, I’m gonna go where the Lord takes me. If Fort Bend County continues to need me, that’s where I’ll be. If I’m needed in other areas of politics, that’s where I’ll be. I’m not committed to any one track, and we all know that as soon as you make plans, the world doesn’t always go according to plan. We can’t plan for the future beyond just trusting in the Lord and doing the best we can to follow his path for us.”