Matthew Graham, an African American man from Baltimore, Maryland, is celebrating having handed the bar examination on his first try. He scored a powerful 309 out of 400, and the video of his heartfelt response has gone viral and has caught the eye of nationwide media.

Graham, who attended the College of Baltimore Faculty of Regulation, confronted challenges all through his journey to changing into a lawyer. He needed to steadiness his full-time job, being a brand new husband and father, and his research. However he took that as a motivation to push by means of.

Earlier this month, Graham formally walked throughout the stage within the commencement ceremony after ending regulation college one semester early in December 2022. He ranked seventh in his class with an excellent 3.6 GPA and Magna Cum Laude honors.

Furthermore, all his onerous work in learning and reviewing paid off as he scored a 309 on the state’s bar examination, touchdown on the 94th percentile after taking it solely as soon as. The typical rating to cross is reportedly 266, principally after taking it a minimum of thrice.

Graham posted a video on his Fb web page of his emotional response upon studying his bar examination rating again in April. It caught nationwide consideration and touched the hearts of many.

“I perceive how vital that is,” Graham advised Essence. “Even ever since I handed the bar examination, after I would stroll round, for instance, right this moment, strolling round within the courthouse and also you see Black workers or Black mother and father of different profitable individuals who cross the bar, it’s simply satisfaction. They simply smile.”

“We all know how troublesome it’s for us to cross this examination. The boundaries which might be in our approach, the bar examination, African People, we rating the bottom on the bar examination traditionally. And I don’t assume that it’s simply sufficient to say, oh, it’s simply since you guys didn’t work as onerous otherwise you guys aren’t as good. No. There’s a racial element there that makes our journey tougher. So, it’s simply numerous satisfaction realizing that no matter what was put in my approach, I used to be going to get this accomplished,” he added.

Most lately, Graham has formally been sworn in as a licensed lawyer to the State of Maryland Bar.

This information first appeared on blacknews.com