Vinson disliked being one of just a few black students in advanced classes at her high school, where blacks were 40 percent of the student body. And her mother had to press school officials to get her into those classes, even though Vinson's performance was outstanding. "I'm hoping to change that pattern, the socialization that determines the education you get and the options available because of that education," she says. A senior at Yale, Vinson has made black male students the focus of her research and plans to reform the education system.