A young man graduates as the top graduating student from a US institution with a degree in financial engineering.
Nicholas Johnson, a bright young man, broke the 250-year-old record at Princeton University in New Jersey, USA, by graduating as the first-ever black valedictorian.
Nicholas Johnson was elected valedictorian and graduated first in his graduating class with a Bachelor’s degree in operations research and finance engineering from the esteemed Ivy League university.
He called his accomplishment “empowering,” adding that it is particularly meaningful to him to hold the distinction as the school’s first-ever black valedictorian. “I feel empowered by it. Given Princeton’s historical connections to the institution of slavery, I find it especially meaningful to be the school’s first Black valedictorian,” Nicholas Johnson told CNN.
Nicholas Johnson interned at Google, Oxford University, and the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms while he was a student at the university. He co-presidented Engineers Without Borders as well.
Johnson talked about his time in school and said that his favorite memories are of hanging out with his pals.
“My best recollections of my time at Princeton are of spending time with close friends and classmates having thought-provoking conversations — frequently late at night — about our values, the societies and cultures we grew up in, the state of the world, and how we intend to make a positive contribution to it in our own special way,” Johnson said.
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Due to various limitations at the time, Johnson’s 2020 set had a virtual commencement ceremony. However, Nicholas Johnson, the valedictorian of his graduating class, spoke at Princeton University’s new physical commencement ceremony in 2022.
He emphasized in his speech how important it is for him and his coworkers to develop into outstanding leaders. “It is a great honor for me to be speaking to you for the second time as your valedictorian, and we are the first graduating Princeton class to have not one, but two commencement ceremonies,” he remarked.
“The world is in dire need of leaders who have the courage to hear and understand those who have different opinions than they do. leaders who are dedicated to the cause of knowledge acquisition. We, the Great Class of 2020, are such leaders, in my opinion.
“I hope that we all dedicate ourselves to the quest for knowledge when we join the world. He said, “This is not only something we should do, but it is something we absolutely must do in order to fully realize our ambition to create value in the world.”
Nicholas Johson thinks that young Black students would be motivated to strive for a bright future by his accomplishment. “I hope that younger Black students, especially those interested in STEM fields, are motivated and inspired by this accomplishment,” he stated.
Before starting his Ph.D. studies in operations research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Johnson intends to work as a hybrid quantitative researcher and software developer intern at the D. E. Shaw Group this summer.
