Posted on Friday, December 09, 2022
Fall 2022 Salutatorian Judnie Michel
Fall class of 2022 salutatorian Judnie Michel is a first-generation American.
“My parents are from Haiti. So, we kind of grew up with ourselves within our culture," said Michel. "So, African-American history is not something we talk about often because we’re so deeply rooted in our history. But learning about it and seeing the parallels is something that’s definitely going to help me for my future.”
Michel, a biology major and scholar from the Thomas F. Freeman Honors College, has plans to go to nursing school to become a nurse practitioner.
She says she was initially planning to go to the University of Houston until she got an email from the Honors College inviting her to a scholars night. That email changed everything. She says she did not grow up with the knowledge of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in her Haitian environment but is grateful for the experience and the family-like culture that she encountered while at TSU.
“TSU taught me a lot about inclusion and the importance of learning about different cultures,” said Michel. “TSU also taught me resilience, integrity and building something from nothing.”
Michel worked full-time while enrolled full-time which taught her to work under pressure and push to reach higher heights. She was also a member of the Golden Key Honor Society, as well as the Public Relations Officer for MAPS (the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students).
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