Katie Washington Notre Dame’s First African American Valedictorian

After the healthcare legislation was passed, Vice President Joe Biden was heard telling President Obama, "Mr. President, This Is a Big Fucking Deal."

We at Chocolate City congratulate and believe that the accomplishment of Ms. Katie Washington, 21 year-old of Gary, Indiana is a BIG deal. Over the years, it has been reported that Gary, Indiana had committed a disproportionate amount of crimes in the nation and the news media have not hesitated to share that information with the world. This has created a perception that nothing good comes out of Gary. Young people such as Washington are starting to debunk the negative and pessimistic perception of Gary.

On May 16, 2010, Washington will make history for being the first African American or Black valedictorian at Notre Dame. A straight “A” student, Washington, earned a 4.0 grade point average during her entire undergraduate years while at Notre Dame. She is a biological science major with a minor in Catholic social teaching.

She co-authored a research paper with Professor David Severson, professor of biological sciences of the Eck Institute for Global Health and was selected to be one of about twenty undergraduates from across the nation to participate in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory undergraduate research program. Washington who also directs the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir at Notre Dame, is a mentor/tutor for the Sister-to-Sister program at South Bend’s Washington High School and serves as the student coordinator of the Center for Social Concerns’ “Lives in the Balance: Youth Violence and Society Seminar.”

According to nwitimes.com, she has been accepted to five schools, including Harvard University but plans to attend Johns Hopkins University and pursue joint degrees in M.D. and Ph.D.

In 2006, Washington was the valedictorian at West Side High School located in Gary, Indiana. Her mother Jean Tomlin is a nurse at Women, Infants and Children program in Gary; her father is a medical doctor practicing in Gary; her brother Mark is completing his residency at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville; her sister Terry is a nurse; and another brother of hers, Vincent is a Navy veteran working at British Petroleum.

West Side High School said they are not just proud of Washington but also of her classmate Dominique Taylor, who will graduate from Notre Dame. The two friends have known each other since they were in second grade at the Banneker Achievement Center.