A Triad senior recently made history by becoming the first African-American Valedictorian at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, N.C. in 100 years.This weekend will be a special experience for many high school seniors as they will walk across the stage during the graduation ceremony, including for Alecia Washington.She recently became her high school's valedictorian — the first African-American student to achieve the high honor in 100 years.WXII 12 News verified the achievement with a leader for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools.Washington, of Winston-Salem, will attend her second graduation this weekend in the past two months. She had recently graduated from Forsyth Technical Community College with an associate's degree."It’s a new chapter. I’m going into adulthood. I’m going to be living on my own in college. I’m pretty nervous about graduating, but I’m excited. I’m excited for all of my family. My little cousins see me walk across that stage," she said.While Washington is very proud of her historic achievement, she said she is more excited about the impact and message it can send to younger students who look like her, especially those who live in underserved communities."When I started thinking, this is so much bigger than me, like representation matters. I know that’s important. I know from experience, representation definitely matters. When you see somebody that looks like you, and something you want to do, or passionate about, it makes a huge difference. It’s not something I take lightly at all," she said.Washington credits her support system that made this milestone possible, including her school counselor Cristen Wiley, who advocated for Washington, and her family at home, especially her great-grandmother, who taught her a valuable life lesson."If you’re going to invest in anything, invest in yourself. Invest in getting a good education and expand your knowledge because that is nothing nobody can take away," Washington said of a key lesson her great-grandmother had taught her.Washington's mother, Lavonya Washington, said she was very emotional when she learned about her daughter's achievement, and it made her reflect back on the past that made this moment possible.She said she learned about the first African-American student to attend R.J. Reynolds High School after segregation."Her name was Gwendolyn Bailey. She set the foundation for Alecia. I think about the challenges that she faced as a student, and it made it possible for Alecia to have this title today," she said.Throughout her four years in high school, Washington was involved with several organizations that focused on helping students and youth within underserved communities, including the Ebon Society, Student Government Association, where she had served as vice president, and Youth Grant Makers in Action, where she had helped create grants for student-led organizations. "I was able to be a voice for those who didn’t feel like they were heard. I was able to bring that to my principal and bring that to the school board members if we wanted to make change," Washington said.Washington plans on attending UNC Charlotte on a full academic scholarship, where she plans to pursue her passion in the medical field and become a pediatric nurse anesthetist.