Could you imagine attending one school at the beginning of the week, and a completely different school by the end of the week? For high school junior Rosalyn Walton, that’s what she and eight of her classmates experienced in August of 1961. Known as the Atlanta Nine, Rosalyn Walton and her peers integrated four all-white high schools in Atlanta to officially end segregation in Atlanta’s public schools.

Through a special application process that consisted of difficult testing and interviews, Walton was chosen to attend Murphy High School in Decatur, Georgia. What she accomplished that day was momentous, but not without difficulty. She often ate alone, experienced racism from bus drivers, and was forced to skip the prom. These challenges and pressures did not discourage Walton from attending school and inspired her to accomplish anything she set her mind to.