TMZ is reporting today that Atlanta HBCU Spelman College is aggressively recruiting champion Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas. "A young woman who has demonstrated the drive and discipline needed to achieve world-class excellence is likely to have what it takes to be successful at Spelman, and we would welcome her interest in the college," President Beverly Daniel Tatum said.
It sounds as if "welcome" is an understatement. Tatum reportedly went all the way to London to personally deliver a Spelman gift bag complete with a congratulatory note, school T-shirt and CD containing a song produced by the college. A Twitter photo shows Gabby looking pretty pleased with the gift.
Spelman is known for grooming African-American women into leaders. Executive Vice President of Wal-Mart Rosalind Brewer, Alice Walker, Harvard College Dean Evelynn M. Hammonds and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam are all grads. And if Gabby decides to attend, she'll share an alma mater with the daughters of Bill Cosby, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Gerald Levert, Martin Luther King Jr. and Sidney Poitier.
With her out-of-this world discipline, resilience and positive outlook, we have no doubt that America's Newest Sweetheart (she told the Associated Press today that that title sits just fine with her — check out the clip below) would be a welcome addition to any school's freshman class, and that she'll deliver a gold-medal academic performance wherever she goes.
Read more at the Washington Post and TMZ.