At only 22 years old, Nicholas Johnson has a whole lot going for him. Not only has he made history as the first Black valedictorian in Princeton University’s 274 years of existence, but he is receiving love from a number of different personalities. One of the more famous accolades is from Princeton alum, former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Mrs.Obama, who graduated from the university in 1985, tweeted on  May 11, “This Princeton alum is so proud of you, Nick! Congratulations on becoming valedictorian—and making history. I have a feeling this is just the beginning for you, and I cannot wait to see everything you continue to achieve.”

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Johnson, who is currently hunkered down finishing final exams, responded to the lovely message saying, “Thank you so much for these kind words of encouragement, First Lady Obama! Your story has been motivational to me and many other students. I hope to be a source of inspiration and leave a positive impact on the world as you have!”

Born in Montreal, Canada with parents from the Bahamas and Jamaica, Johnson has majored in operations research and financial engineering. He is also pursuing certificates in statistics and machine learning, applied and computational mathematics, and applications of computing, according to Princeton officials..

The New York Times reports he will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall to pursue a doctorate in operations research and complete his thesis developing algorithms to help health initiatives focusing on reducing obesity in Canada.
He said about making history as the university’s first Black valedictorian,  “I hope this achievement serves as inspiration to black students coming up behind me.”

According to the University’s website, only 9 percent of Princeton’s undergrad 2019-2020 student body identify as Black/African American.
The virtual graduation ceremony will take place May 31.