Princeton University

Montreal Student Named First Black Valedictorian of Princeton

Nicholas Johnson, an operations research and financial engineering concentrator, is the New Jersey Ivy League's 2020 valedictorian, according to an announcement from the school

Nicholas Johnson became the first black valedictorian in Princeton history.
Lisa Festa/Princeton

A student from Montreal with an impressive resume has been named the first black valedictorian in Princeton University's 274-year history, according to NBC News.com.

Nicholas Johnson, who studied operations research and financial engineering, is the New Jersey Ivy League school's 2020 valedictorian, according to an announcement from the school.

"I was first named as Princeton's valedictorian on April 27th, a couple weeks ago, but it wasn't until last week Thursday when they formally notified me that I was in fact the first black valedictorian in the university's history. And that, that was really, really surprising," Johnson said in an interview with Canada's CTV Television Network.

"It's very empowering for me to have been selected for this honor. And it really does mean a lot to me, particularly given Princeton's ties to the institution of slavery," Johnson added. "And I hope that this can serve as inspiration to younger black students, particularly those in STEM fields."

Read the full story at NBC News.com.

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