Grambling State University will make history with a valedictory trifecta as part of Spring 2024 Commencement Exercises beginning at 10 a.m. Friday in the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
A trio of GSU students — Ariel K. Box, Jordan A. Braithwaite and Joan Tran, each posted a perfect 4.0 grade point average to earn shared valedictorian accolades for this spring’s commencement exercise.
Box, a criminal justice major from Denver with a concentration in paralegal studies, is currently completing an internship with the Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program with Sandia National Laboratories, under the National Nuclear Security Administration, and plans on beginning law school in the fall of 2025.

“My ultimate goal is to become an in-house attorney for a corporation working on contract policy and compliance,” Box said.

Box said graduating with a 4.0 GPA was all about setting priorities.

“I’ve always made sure academics and my studies come first even though I’ve always been involved with all kinds of other things around campus,” Box said.

Box, who has a built-in support system with an older sister, RaiJuan Box, and an older brother, Khaaliq Stevenson, also set to receive degrees during Friday’s graduation, credits the overall support system she found at GSU as a big factor behind her success.

“It’s about making sure the people around you are benefiting you and helping you succeed,” Box said. “Taking the right advice will get you into the right places, and the network I’ve been able to create here at Grambling is one that will definitely continue to benefit me long into the future.”

Braithwaite, a history major with a concentration in law, is set to begin studies at the Howard University School of Law next fall as part of the fourth 10-person cohort of the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP).

Launched in January 2021, MMSP is designed to provide the southern U.S. with the next generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence in the pursuit of racial justice.

In exchange for a full law school scholarship and professional development, Braithwaite is committed to devoting the first 10 years of her career to practicing civil rights law in service of Black communities in the South.

Braithwaite, a St. Louis native, was a 2021 White House HBCU Scholar, a BeyGood Foundation Renaissance Scholarship recipient and a Class of 2023 AT&T Rising Future Maker, founded a student mobilization initiative, “Grambling Student Power Network,” that spearheaded advocacy efforts for an on-campus polling location at Grambling State University and mobilized more than 2,000 Black voters during the 2022 and 2023 elections.

She also served as president of the Youth and College Division of the NAACP Louisiana State Conference, where she worked to develop and implement several strategic action plans to enhance the organization’s influence in the Louisiana legislative process and collaborated closely with other Louisiana youth and collegiate units to devise and execute consistent action plans statewide for impactful advocacy initiatives.

Braithwaite also served as the Advocate for Social Justice Chair for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

She plans on becoming a civil rights attorney to challenge systemic injustices and create a more equitable society, especially for marginalized communities in the South, and carry on the legacy of trailblazers like Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley.

Braithwaite said the GSU’s 2021 Homecoming week will be one of her favorite memories of her years at Grambling State.

“That entire week made me feel the true essence of Grambling,” Braithwaite said. “Being able to come back after COVID and see familiar faces and be able to truly network again in person. That was the first time being exposed to what I had heard was the true camaraderie being a student at Grambling creates.

“It was a life-changing week that made me realize that wow, I truly love my HBCU, and I will always cherish that.”

Braithwaite said the leadership skills she has learned as an undergraduate is one of the most important things she’ll take with her from Grambling heading to the Howard University School of Law.

“I’m grateful I’ve been able to gain that leadership experience,” Braithwaite said. “It makes me more passionate as an advocate and has helped give the ability to empower others to try and make better lives for themselves. I would have gotten that without all of the lessons and experience I received from Grambling.”

Tran, who has lived all over Louisiana but calls Lafayette home, will take a little time to “smell the flowers” before deciding on his next step in life.

“After graduation, I plan to take some time off to celebrate and relax to reconnect with friends and rebalance my social life after having to focus on academics,” Tran said. “Afterward, I plan on sharpening my skills through earning more certifications and looking to work my way up to software development. In between all of that, I will be looking for volunteering opportunities around different cities to learn, grow, and get to know more about different communities.”

 

Becoming a part of the GramFam was the best part of the collegiate experience for Tran.

 

“My favorite moment as a GSU student would have to be meeting up with club members and spending time getting to know each other,” Tran said. “Being able to get together with a group of people with similar interests feels very welcoming, and it can be surprising to find out who enjoys the same things as you even though they come from vastly different backgrounds.

 

Tran said persistence and a strong support system played key roles in his academic success.

 

“To me, valedictorian is just another title showing the persistence of a student,” Tran said. “Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without the help of the professors and other students. I’ve spent nights staying up studying and researching, but there were many times I had to ask for help from fellow classmates.

 

“This is only one of many accomplishments showing off a student’s capabilities. I have seen various students work just as hard if not harder than I have and excelled beyond my reach in many subjects, so never doubt anybody just because they weren’t given recognition.”

 

Learning to overcome adversity is the important thing Tran said he will take with him from GSU.

 

“The most important thing I’ve learned at Grambling is to never let a difficult situation feel like the end of the road; these challenges help build who we are,” Tran said. “Even if we can’t get it the first time, we learn more from our failures than our successes.”