Texas senior Trinity Asberry has made history as her school’s first Black valedictorian.
“Being the first. If you don’t see it, you can make it happen,” Trinity, a student at Rusk High School, told KYTX.
The exemplary senior reportedly didn’t know about her groundbreaking achievement until her grandmother notified her about it.
“My grandma told me, ‘Hey, I think you might have made history, I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve never heard that happen,” Trinity said. She also said that she called all her relatives when she found out.
“The first thing I did when I found out is I called all my family members, ‘Hey, I’m valedictorian!'” she said.
The high school senior then began researching the history of Rusk High School, but faculty members and local newspapers couldn’t give her the information she was seeking. She even contacted the NAACP to see if they could assist her.
“They didn’t have the resources to tell me that information,” she said. “So we checked with the NAACP, and they couldn’t find that information as well, so we did a lot of research with community members and alumni from Rusk HS. We were able to find out I was the first, and I was really excited [about] that.”
After her vigorous search, Trinity finally received double confirmation from the Board of Educators and other sources that she indeed did become her school’s first Black valedictorian.
Her journey wasn’t easy. The valedictorian’s mother died when she was in elementary school. Her father, George Andrew Asberry, stepped up to the plate to ensure his daughter continued to do well in her academic studies.
George told news reporters that he was very proud of Trinity.
“That feeling was like, ‘Wow, you’re special. I mean, you’re the first in Rusk. That’s history.’ I’m so proud of her, and I probably [told] her 100 times,” he said.
He added that he and Trinity’s grandmother, aunts, and teachers were very instrumental in her success.
Her anatomy and physiology dual credit teacher, Dr. Gerald Hawkins, called her a rare student because she excelled academically while participating in extracurricular activities such as cheering, basketball, student council, and softball.
“Truly a [historic] moment that needs to be celebrated,” he said about Trinity’s recent accomplishment. “I think for minority students to see this historical moment will help motivate them to succeed academically. If they put their minds and put in the work, they can also accomplish this.”
The Texas native is set to attend HBCU Texas Southern University for two years in the university’s pre-nursing program. She then planned to transfer to the University of Houston and complete a bachelor of science in nurse. After that, she would decide whether to attend medical school or begin a career in cosmetic nursing.
“I feel like moving forward in my future. I’ll know that whatever comes my way, I’ll be able to take it on because I’ve done so much under the circumstances already,” she said. “And I know that I’ll have help, that my family will be there if I run into something that I can’t take on myself.”
Rusk High School is a predominantly white high school, with 67% of its student population falling into that demographic. Black students total 16%, Latino students 15% and Bi- or multiracial students 3%.
