22-Year-Old Becomes First Black Valedictorian at Princeton Ever in Its 274-Year History

Photo by Lisa Festa/Princeton University

Princeton University has named its first black valedictorian ever in the school’s 274-year history.

Nicholas André Johnson, aged 22, hails from Montréal in Québec⁣, Canada. He majored in operations research and financial engineering⁣ and was named Princeton’s valedictorian on April 27, 2020.

According to CBS News, Johnson earned top honors at the ivy league college.

Photo by Lisa Festa/Princeton University

“Being Princeton’s first black valedictorian is very empowering, especially given its historical ties to the institution of slavery,” said Johnson, speaking to The New York Times. He then praised the college for being “very critical and cognizant about its ties to slavery.” “They’ve taken very deliberate steps to reconcile things,” he added.

Of becoming valedictorian, Johnson commented, “I hope this achievement serves as inspiration to black students coming up behind me.”

Johnson made his own announcement on Facebook on April 27, writing:

“I’m incredibly grateful and honored to have been selected as valedictorian for Princeton’s Class of 2020! I am beyond thankful to my family, my friends, and my mentors who have supported me throughout my journey thus far.”

According to Princeton’s own announcement on Instagram on the very same day, Johnson’s goal is to pursue a PhD in operations research at MIT in fall 2020.

Johnson reflected that his favorite memories from Princeton are those of times “spent with close friends and classmates engaging in stimulating discussions, often late at night.”

The discussions, Johnson explained, often revolved around “our beliefs, the cultures and environments in which we were raised, the state of the world, and how we plan on contributing positively to it in our own unique way.”

William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Johnson’s Facebook post garnered a plethora of public support. “I am so proud of you for the honor you have undoubtedly worked hard for,” wrote one netizen. “I am touched that you are a Canadian. All the best for your future.”

“Bravo Nicholas, congrats,” wrote another. “What a great accomplishment, and thanks for being a role model/inspiration for young girls and boys.”

In a statement on its website, Princeton also honored Johnson’s extracurricular engagements. The 22-year-old is a member of the Princeton chapter of Engineers Without Borders, of which he was co-president in 2018. He also served as a residential adviser on campus and as a writing fellow at the Princeton Writing Center.

During his college career, Johnson took part in cultural immersion trips to Peru, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. In his senior year, he worked as a software engineer in machine learning at Google’s California headquarters.

Upon being named valedictorian, Johnson wished to thank a number of his influential academic mentors, and one in particular, for helping him realize his ambitions.

“Professor Massey inspired me by sharing his ever-present love for operations research and through his advocacy for black and African American students in STEM fields,” Johnson told Princeton. “He encouraged me to pursue increasingly ambitious research projects and to share my work at academic conferences.”

Massey responded, telling The New York Times, “He was just very, very outstanding, very personable, with a wide range of interests. He’s somebody interested in channeling his skills to serve humanity.”

Library of Congress

Beside Johnson, fellow student Grace Sommers was named Princeton’s Latin salutatorian; a physics major, Sommers plans to pursue a PhD in that field in fall 2020.

In its statement, Princeton announced that both Johnson and Sommers will participate in a “virtual commencement” ceremony on May 31. The Ivy League college also plans to host a belated in-person ceremony for the class of 2020 in spring of 2021.