Leading Lives of Consequence Gene Perry ’75, ’78L and Cheick Toure ’23 compare their W&L experiences
This is the third installment in a six-part series where alumni and current students have candid discussions about the similarities and differences of their time at Washington and Lee.
When Gene Perry arrived at W&L in 1971, there were only a handful of Black students and no Black professors. He found a community with his basketball teammates and coaches, with an advisor who took Gene under his wing, and with other minority students. After graduating from W&L School of Law, the alumni network helped him acclimate to life in New York City.
Cheick Toure also discovered Washington and Lee through athletics. He found lifelong friends on the basketball team as well as with student organizations like the Diversified Capital Group, which he helped create. Through alumni connections and support from the Office of Career and Professional Development, Cheick has a full-time position with Citi in New York City following graduation.
With an almost 50-year difference in graduation years, Gene Perry’s and Cheick Toure’s W&L experiences were unique. However different their experiences, Gene and Cheick both agree they would not be the people they are today without Washington and Lee.
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