First White Valedictorian But Hardly First White Grad

First White Valedictorian But Hardly First White Grad
The media frenzy surrounding Morehouse's first white valedictorian Joshua Packwood makes it seem as though the 22-year-old is a complete anomaly. But is Packwood really all that special?

Wonderbread Kansas City Josh Packwood is just the most recent (and arguably most accomplished, with his perfect 4.0 GPA) in a growing list of white grads from black schools.

Historically black colleges make up just 3 percent of all higher learning institutions in America -- but according to the United Negro College Fund, nearly 30 percent of black bachelor degree candidates graduate from these universities. And Morehouse in particular is one of the most prestigious, with notable alums such as Spike Lee and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The media is making it seem as though these schools never show up on the radar of white kids applying college just because Packwood is the only white kid in his graduating class, but this isn't really the case. As of 2001, 12 percent of students at historically black colleges are white, and this number is steadily rising. These schools often offer lower tuition and smaller class size, and they're seeking out high-achievers like Packwood, who turned down a full ride to Columbia for the lesser-known Morehouse.

Packwood is now headed to be an analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City -- where fellow white Morehouse grad Steven Schukei is VP of technology. 
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