Seven is indeed Spelman College’s lucky number.
Last month, seven Spelman graduates finished with 4.0 grade point averages, all earning the right to be valedictorians for the class of 2026.
The “Spelman Seven,” as named by Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Ernie Suggs, are Alexis Sims, Nia-Sarai Perry, Cori’Anna White, Aiyana Ringo, Alyssa Richardson, Sophia Davis and Mariama Diallo.
“Spelman is like a Black girl Disneyland, where we can come and be ourselves and grow in our excellence and be leaders,” Richardson, a biochemistry major from Washington, D.C., said. “To see that reflected in the valedictorians, and being distinguished with my sisters, it’s just amazing. I feel strengthened in it. It validates my experience.”
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“It’s very difficult to be valedictorian at Spelman, and seeing seven Black women accomplish that shows our brilliance and our excellence,” added Ringo, a sociology major from New Orleans. “It makes it more powerful and shows how we can make history.”
