Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian

Student Lounge African-American Students
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<p>This should be an inspiration to all lurkers and posters on this board:</p>

<p>For the first time in 161 years that Notre Dame has been awarding degrees ...</p>

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A Gary, Indiana native will make history next month as the first black valedictorian from the University of Notre Dame.</p>

<p>Katie Washington, 21, is a biology major and minor in Catholic social teaching with a 4.0 GPA.</p>

<p>“I am humbled,” said Washington to the Northwest Indiana Times. "I am in a mode of gratitude and thanksgiving right now.”</p>

<p>University officials said they couldn’t recall ever having a black valedictorian, and don’t keep record of their race.
The valedictorian has been accepted to five schools, including Harvard, but she plans to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University, according to nwitimes.com.</p>

<p>"Katie works so hard," Washington’s mother Jean Tomlin said. "I told her when she went to Notre Dame, 'You are representing your family, your church and the city of Gary. Make us proud.'"</p>

<p>She has definitely made her family proud and is following in their footsteps. Her father is a doctor, her mother and sister are nurses, one brother is completing his residency and another brother who works for British Petroleum.</p>

<p>"I have had so much support, people who really wanted to see that I reached my full potential,” Washington told nwitimes.com. “They all had my best interest at heart."</p>

<p>Washington will address the class of 2010 at commencement on May 16.

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<p>Source: Notre</a> Dame Has First Black Valedictorian | NBC Chicago</p>

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<p>That’s awesome! The only thing that would have made it better would be if it was a guy lol</p>

3

<p>WOOT WOOT! Repping Gary, Indiana :slight_smile:
We needed something other than J5 and the steel mills</p>

4

<p>when I first saw this I thought “is this a sign for me to go to ND?”</p>

5

<p>I can easily it couldn’t have happened to anyone better. Katie, by far, is deserving of this title.</p>

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<p>Good for her! Wow, Hopkins! May she be an inspiration to others out there. You can do it!</p>

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<p>My parents see this as a sign for me to attend Notre Dame!!!</p>

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<p>Congrats Katie! You worked really hard and deserve all that life brings you in the upcoming years. Endless support!</p>

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<p>She graduated from my high school. She was the speaker at our graduation. She kept talking about us “not being in the bag”. The bag she mentioned represented oppression, self-degradation, etc.</p>

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<p>Congratulations to Katie, but in my mind this really isn’t a noteworthy event anymore in the context of race relations. She worked for it, she won it, she deserved it. 'Nuff said.</p>

11

<p>^^ tru dat but its still nice to hear bout people doing things that were not done before. Now i wonder if it will happen with the big Ivies too!?</p>

12

<p>All I can say is great congrats, after being told that the program was way to rigorous by the admissions committee---------------so what about those other non-AA dropouts?</p>

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<p>Awesome! And an African American woman at that! Yay! :D</p>