Notre Dame Sees Its First Black Valedictorian
Katie Washington-Cole
**Update: This story is from 2010. This story has been edited to reflect the correct year.**
Katie Washington, who is from Gary, Indiana, is a biological science major at the University of Notre Dame. She was the University’s first Black valedictorian.
The University officials say they do not retain records on the race of previous students who have graduated at the top of their classes, but a spokeswoman Julie Flory told the Northwest Indiana Times, “I personally don’t recall us having a Black valedictorian before.”
Washington told the paper that she was “humbled. I am in a mode of gratitude and thanksgiving right now.”
She downplayed her success by saying that she had not gotten to that point alone.
“I have had so much support, people who really wanted to see that I reached my full potential. They all had my best interest at heart.”
Her mother is a nurse and her father is a doctor, so it looks like Katie is following the family lineage at this point.
During her tenure at Notre Dame, she minored in Catholic Teaching. Aside from her 4.0 grade point average, she conducted research on lung cancer and co-authored a paper with David Severson, a professor of biological sciences.
She plans on obtaining a joint M.D./Ph.D at Johns Hopkins University.
Congratulations Katie, and all the best to you.
Photo Credit: MATT CASHORE/UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Congratulations!
June 17, 1991
“Boston Globe” newspaper
“Here’s a Toast to Harvard’s No. 2”
http://www.latticetheory.net/…/pdf/boston_globe_2_pg1.jpg
http://www.latticetheory.net/…/pdf/boston_globe_2_pg2.jpg
[…] Katie Washington, who is from Gary, Indiana, is a biological science major at the University of Notre Dame. She will be the university’s first Black […]
Congratulations to Katie Washington for earning such an honor.
Good she picked a course of study that
is useful.