Student Research: Georgino E. Hyppolite '12

In his thesis, "More Black Ivy Leaguers, but There's a 'Kind'?  Oppositional Culture Theory and Group Attachment in High-Achieving Black Students", Georgino considered the observation that more Black students are enrolling in elite colleges and universities, and Black immigrants and the children of Black immigrants have largely bolstered the increasing numbers. The thesis focuses on the application of John Ogbu's Oppositional Culture Theory, which posits that the African American community underperforms academically because the group has developed an identity that opposes doing well in school — a context in which African Americans have historically lacked fair opportunities. Under the guidance of Professor Kathryn Lively, he examined Ogbu's assertions that academically successful African American students do not feel attached to their collective group identity after having to encounter peer pressure to avoid "acting white" by performing well in school and Black immigrant students can strive for scholastic success devoid of the same difficulties as their African American peers. Ultimately, the study found that high-achieving Black students — both African Americans and Black immigrants — encounter similar obstacles in their lived experiences and are very much attached to their collective group identity.

After graduating from Dartmouth College in 2012, Georgino enrolled at Harvard Law School. He will graduate in Spring 2015.