Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2023
Nora Rodriguez came to Texas Southern University from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
“I felt so supported,” she said. “It just felt like TSU was giving me this hug and they were just helping me through anything I needed.”
She was a star pitcher for the softball team and a Freeman Scholar in the Thomas F. Freeman Honors College.
“It was definitely a challenge. And it had a very big learning curve to it. But, in order to stay organized, I would make a lot of to do lists and I’d have to prioritize. I had to draw up my schedule and say 8 a.m. I have to do this, this and this. This is what I want to get done. I’d also, in order to not go insane and have time for myself, I’d schedule out breaks and time to hang out with my friends.”
Nora was a biology major. She was shocked to find out she was named valedictorian of the spring class of 2023.
“I was just focusing on my studies. I never really was like ‘I’m going to be the valedictorian, that’s my goal.’ My goal was mostly just to make good grades so I could get into medical school and more in line with my goals and what I want to do in the future.”
This graduation was the first time in TSU history that the valedictorian and salutatorian were both student-athletes. Salutatorian Devansh Chadha is a member of the golf team.
“It just feels incredible,” Rodriguez said. “I know we have so many advisors, our coaches who work really hard to make sure we are student-athletes and that our academics come before athletics. So for it to show on such a large stage and for everyone to know Hey these athletes are not just the stereotypical jock athletes that don’t go to class.”
Nora will attend McGovern Medical School at UT-Health in the fall. She aspires to be a dermatologist.
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