Shae O. Omonijo

First, But Not Last: The Wonderful Life of Dr. Dykes

The confidence and determination she displayed at every stage of her life spoke to my state of mind at the time. I was a bit lost and uncertain about which Ph.D. program offer I would accept, eager to visit as many universities as possible before the pandemic put my plans to a halt. In her files I saw someone who had very few options for where she could study as a Black woman in the early twentieth century. Yet here I was with an abundance of options. In many ways, I chose to study at Harvard to walk the path Dr. Dykes paved for me.