Tashauna Holmes – from rural upbringing to Harvard valedictorian
Published:Sunday | June 8, 2025 | 12:11 AMChristopher Thomas - Sunday Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Growing up in the quiet, rural community of Johnson in St James, Jamaica, Tashauna Holmes could never have imagined that one day she would stand as valedictorian of Harvard University’s 2025 graduating class. Her journey – from humble beginnings and early culture shock in the United States to the pinnacle of academic excellence – has been nothing short of inspiring.
The 31-year-old graduated just over a week ago with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Harvard’s School of Dental Medicine. A proud alumna of Montego Bay High School for Girls and Herbert Morrison Technical High School, she credits much of her success to her Jamaican upbringing and the strong support system that carried her through her most difficult moments.
“I am very humbled, and I am proud of the long nights, the persistence, and the times I kept going even when it felt overwhelming, like there was no end in sight. I feel gratitude for the teachers who challenged me, my friends who encouraged me, my family who believed in me, and my village who raised me,” Holmes told The Sunday Gleaner. “I was excited to be chosen as the valedictorian, because I knew that I had a message, a story, and the world needed to hear it.”
Politically
charged moment
Her selection as valedictorian came at a politically charged moment, as Harvard found itself at odds with the Trump administration. In April, the university filed a lawsuit opposing the administration’s push to overhaul its leadership and admissions policies. In response, the federal government slashed the school’s funding and threatened the enrolment of international students, along with its tax-exempt status.
Though Holmes, who migrated to the US at 17 and gained automatic citizenship, wasn’t directly affected by the changes, she expressed deep concern for others.
“I deeply understand the plight of those whose status in the United States has been jeopardised, as the Trump administration’s stance created an unsettling time for many in the Harvard community and beyond. I saw close friends and classmates thrown into panic, unsure whether they would be forced to leave the country despite being fully enrolled and committed to their education,” Holmes recounted.
“It created a climate of fear and, more broadly, it made many persons feel like they did not belong. It was disheartening to see individuals who contribute so much to our academic and cultural community, suddenly treated as expendable,” Holmes continued. “International students are essential to the diversity and strength of institutions like Harvard. They bring perspectives, experiences, and knowledge that challenge and enrich all of us. Witnessing this made me reflect on how fragile some people’s positions can be, and how important it is to advocate for more stable and humane immigration policies.”
The feeling of not belonging is one Holmes has intimately known from when she first arrived in the United States. Having grown up with a sense of familial closeness in Jamaica, both within her home district of Johnson and while attending Montego Bay High and Herbert Morrison High, she was not prepared for the more emotionally distant culture shift she experienced when she began attending Miami Dade University in Florida in 2012.
Identified as an outsider
“I am from a very small rural community, and everyone there pretty much looks like me and grew up in similar circumstances, and even when I went to high school, most people looked like me, could relate to me, and could understand my accent. When I moved to Miami, I was identified as an outsider, even with as much diversity as Miami has,” Holmes recalled.
“I missed my friends and the people in my community, and I missed being able to go to my neighbours for dinner if I did not like what was being cooked at my house. I missed being able to get into a taxi and talk about whatever subject was up for discussion; at that time, I would take the bus to school and sit on the bus in silence,” Holmes added.
Things changed when she joined the Caribbean Students Association and began to find her footing socially. By 2014, she transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. Initially set on becoming a lawyer, she later pivoted to science and found her passion in dentistry, enrolling at Harvard in 2021.
Looking back on her educational journey, Holmes – who plans to practise dentistry in Miami – credits the milestone in becoming valedictorian to her mother ensuring she went to school while she was growing up in Johnson, and the moral support she received from loved ones while at Harvard.
“My mother used to save money in a piggy bank to pay for my schooling and my supplies because she became a single mom early in my life due to my dad’s illness. It was a very challenging time when I was growing up, but I always went to school, and she did what she needed to do to ensure I had everything I needed for school, because she understood the value of education,” Holmes told The Sunday Gleaner.
“I have a very strong support system, as my family was very invested in my education and ensuring that I got to this point. There were days at Harvard when I felt doubtful and overwhelmed, like I could not go on, and these were the people I relied on,” Holmes added. “I will also credit my strength to my belief in something greater than myself, in the fact that this is not just for me. I can make a difference in students’ lives, students who are now interested in dentistry because they have seen someone who looks like them in that space.”