US ELECTION 2024

Discover Kamala Harris’ educational journey from high school to university

Many don’t know that Kamala Harris spent time in Canada as a child after her mother was offered a research position at McGill University. From Canada’s public school system to Howard University and law school...

Evelyn HocksteinREUTERS

The election is just a week away, and still, many are learning about the candidates. Unlike Donald Trump who was educated at private schools in New York City and attended an Ivy League, Kamala Harris is the product of public school and attended an HBCU.

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Kamala Harris’ time in Canada

Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, in the Bay Area. Her parents were academics and always ensured their daughters understood the importance of education.

However, his mother’s career would take the family to Quebec, Canada, where Harris and her younger sister, Maya, attended school. Kamala Harris is the product of public schools in Canada. She graduated from Westmount High School in Westmount, Quebec. The school opened its doors in 1873 and touts its record of “making positive contributions to society and being a source of pride to their families and loved ones.”

Though she began her higher education in Canada at Vanier College, she decided to return to the United States to complete her studies, attending Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, DC. She graduated in 1986 with degrees in political science and economics.

Harris heads to law school

After graduating from Howard, Harris applied to law school and settled at the University of California College of Law, San Francisco, formerly known as UC Hastings. Returning to the Bay Area brought her back to her roots, and while in law school, she was the president of the Black Law Students Association. After graduating in 1989, she passed the California Bar exam the following year.

What Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and Ronald Reagan have in common

Vice President Kamala Harris has moved to the right to attract moderate Republicans and centrist independents during the campaign. Some of these voters may have cast a ballot for then-California Governor Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. In addition to sharing the same home state, Reagan, she and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, share another similarity with the Republican legend. These three leaders never attended an Ivy League university, making them some of the few to have reached the upper echelons of American politics without passing through those halls.