The Fulfillment of Promise: Minority Valedictorians and Salutatorians

The Illinois Valedictorian Project is a fifteen-year longitudinal study of eighty-one high school valedictorians and salutatorians conducted since 1981. Karen Arnold’s investigation traces the consequences of economics, family, and college experiences on the early adult achievement of eight African American and Mexican American valedictorians. Longitudinal interview data demonstrate the post-high school conditions that constrain the continued achievement of even academically talented minority students.