Emancipated/homeless Utica senior earns full scholarship to Notre Dame

It is much more than the luck of the Irish that has led Utica Community Schools senior Nicholas Slaughter to earn a full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame University.

It is persistence, hard work, faith and the support of his school friends and staff that has led the emancipated minor and current Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies senior to begin studying civil engineering at Notre Dame next fall.

“I think the important message in my story is that hard work pays off and that you can’t do it alone,” Slaughter said. “I would not be here without the support of the UCS staff and all my teachers and counselors.”

In August 2024, Slaughter made a significant life change by emancipating himself, saying he was in “an environment where I needed to make a change to move forward.” He said without the support of his best friend’s family, he would have been essentially homeless.

He also had the support of his GLK-UAIS family, which kept him centered on his academic success.
“We are so fortunate that UCS provides this program to us free of charge,” he said. “Without this opportunity or if I had to pay for it, I would never be here.”

At GLK-UAIS, Slaughter is graduating as a valedictorian and has participated in Key Club and the National French Honor Society. He is an Advanced Placement Scholar and was a Lauréat gold finalist in national French competition – Le Grand Concours. He founded the French Club at Collins Elementary.

Recently retired French teacher Mary Blain said Slaughter’s acceptance to Notre Dame is a rare accomplishment on its own, but the full-ride scholarship and his life story make the achievement even more remarkable.

“Nick has had to deal with more obstacles and more setbacks in his young life than most people encounter in a lifetime. Despite the obstacles, I never once saw Nick deterred or dejected,” she said. “On the contrary, Nick digs deep within himself to his very soul, and with grit, perseverance, faith and an unparalleled determination, he maintains outstanding grades in an extremely rigorous curriculum, all the while working an after school job to make ends meet. The University of Notre Dame is a very special place, and they are about to encounter a most truly extraordinary human being."

He said his interest in Notre Dame is not that he can attend a prestigious, well-respected university, but also that it supports his new faith. The scholarship for Notre Dame covers both his housing and tuition.

“It is nice that my efforts have paid off, but I know I have so much more work to do,” he said. “The race has not ended.”

Source: Utica Community Schools
Superintendent Robert S. Monroe
Http://www.uticak12.org