Millikan Alumnus Makes History at Google

Howard Prioleau, a remarkable alumnus at Millikan High, has made history as the first student from a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to receive Google's Ph.D. fellowship.

Prioleau's journey began at Millikan, where he graduated as part of the Class of 2020 and was a member of QUEST (Questioning, Understanding, Engaging Success through Technology). QUEST is Millikan's accelerated preparatory leadership program that prepares students for college and careers by fostering leadership skills, decision-making, and a seamless transition to top universities.

Susan Barragan, a counselor at Millikan, commends his success and accomplishments. "What makes my heart happy this morning is that he is achieving the goals he set for himself," she said. "In the letter of recommendation I wrote for him, I highlighted his ambition to obtain a Ph.D. in Computer Science and to bring a different perspective and diversity to the field of Machine Learning."

Prioleau continued his academic journey at Howard University, where he earned his bachelor's in computer science in 2023.

Now, as a Howard University graduate student, Prioleau has received the highly competitive and prestigious Google Ph.D. Fellowship in Natural Language Processing. He credits much of his success to a lifelong fascination with computers and mentors who guided him toward research opportunities.

"While you can succeed without it, passion makes the late nights and challenges easier to handle. Start as early as possible and work on any project, big or small, because every effort builds your understanding. These projects prepare you for more complex challenges as you'll already know many errors and scenarios. You can even code on your phone, create video game mods, or work on fun experiments. It doesn't need to be a grand project; just focus on enjoying the process. It's never easy at first, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes." Prioleau said.

Howard's passion for computer science has driven him forward and he serves as an inspiring model for students hoping to follow a similar pathway. He advises students to believe in their strengths, remove self-doubt and take advantage of educational opportunities inside and outside the classroom.

"With the Google Fellowship's support, I will be able to focus more deeply on my research, amplify my impact in NLP, and continue to serve as a role model for others in the community," Prioleau remarked.

Howard Prioleau hopes to one day become a Computer Science professor specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and is also open to pursuing a career as an industry researcher. Congratulations to Howard Prioleau for this incredible achievement.