LAPLACE — Jeremiah Downing, a 2019 graduate and scholar athlete of West St. John High School, has taken RAM pride all the way to Washington, D.C. as he secured a spot amongst the Royal Court as he was named Mr. Freshman 2019 by an overwhelming majority vote while promoting his campaign to “be the exception.”

The Royal Court of Howard University in Washington, D.C. is a unique group composed of students who serve as campus royalty under the leadership of their Leadership Team and Advisory Board.

Howard University’s Royal Court serves as an entity under the Office of Student Life and Activities in the Division of Student Affairs, in initiating and promoting campus leadership through the implementation of platform initiatives, with an integration of community service and campus life.

The young ladies and gentlemen of the Court are to represent the best of character, school pride, campus ambassadorship and the embodiment of the four pillars of Howard University: leadership, excellence, truth and service.

Jeremiah is the son of Wendell Downing Sr. and Cassandra Toumba-Bailey.

“We are so proud of Jeremiah as he exemplifies these characteristics, continues to stand firmly on his platform, ‘be the exception’ and continues to represent West St. John and the River Parishes in a major way,” Toumba-Bailey said.