Dec 21: Seniors Fana HaileSelassie and Kayla Smith Selected to Join Rangel Foreign Affairs Fellowship Class

Seniors Fana HaileSelassie and Kayla Smith Selected to Join Rangel Foreign Affairs Fellowship Class

Fana HaileSelassie, C’2021, president of the Spelman College Student Government Association, and Kaya Smith, C'2021, founder and director of The Blue Record, Spelman's podcast, have both been selected to participate in the 2021 Charles B. Rangel Fellowship program.

Administered by Howard University, the fellowship is a U.S. Department of State program created to promote a positive U.S. presence in the world that reflects and respects diversity.

HaileSelassie and Smith are both international studies majors.

HaileSelassie said she’s enthusiastic about the fellowship and sees her acceptance as an opportunity to influence her Spelman sisters and other Black women to pursue careers in foreign affairs.

"Born in Nairobi, Kenya, diplomacy became personal for me when a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Addis Ababa became a source of comfort and knowledge for me and my mother after political turmoil closed communication channels to my father," she said. "People have to be informed to care, and as an American diplomat and Charles B. Rangel Fellow, I hope to cultivate a sense of compassion for those who don’t share our borders or culture."

This will not be the first time either have participated in the Rangel program. In 2019, they both participated in the summer enrichment scholars program.

Spelman Represented Among the 2021 Cohort of Center for Curatorial Leadership Fellows

Anne Collins Smith, C’96, curator of collections at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, and Adrienne Edwards, C'96, Engell Speyer Family Curator and curator of performance for the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, earned spots among the 2021 class of the Center for Curatorial Leadership fellows.

Smith and Edwards will join a dozen fellows from museums across the United States and Mexico who were selected based on their exceptional curatorial achievements, demonstrated innovative thinking and commitment to advancing the field.

"Engaging with the Center for Curatorial Leadership has been a dream of mine for some time. My acceptance into the program is a testament to dedication, perseverance and persistence," said Smith. "I am excited about the program’s intensive examination of curatorial practice and its relevance to our shared humanity. This experience will engender me to further develop and hone my role as a curatorial leader."

Participation in the 2021 program will be primarily virtual and include a custom-designed Columbia Business School curriculum, mentorship and an opportunity to connect with a diverse network of museum professionals while engaging in rigorous coursework.

Saweetie Discusses College Life and Entrepreneurship During Virtual Pajama Party

Recording artist and entrepreneur Saweetie surprised a group of 50 Spelman students during a surprise Zoom chat.

The virtual pajama party took place on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Spelman’s Entrepreneurship Club sponsored the event.

During the event, Saweetie shared lessons she learned from her experience balancing her studies at the University of Southern California while starting a business. She discussed the role self-respect plays in success and the power of using one’s platform to bring awareness to social issues.

"As someone who is in the public eye, there is this expectation to know about everything going on. We don’t know everything," she said. "It’s important that we realize that, and we ask for real answers. If I have a platform where I can make change, I should do that. Fashion, music, beauty, they are all fine, but I’m a real woman and I care about real problems."

Spelman Alumna Wins Web Summit's PITCH 2020 Competition

A medtech startup founded by Wuleta Lemma, Ph.D., C’89, beat out more than 700 other applicants to be named the winner of Web Summit’s PITCH 2020 competition.

Dr. Lemma’s company, Lalibela Global Networks, offers healthcare software to automate hospital management and reduce day-to-day stationery resources.

The technology streamlines administrative tasks and reduces the time spent finding patient files, which improves the functionality of medical centers while making healthcare more affordable for patients.

The startup has already implemented its new technology in four hospitals across Ethiopia and digitized more than 1.2 million patient health records to date.

"Winning gives us the credibility to get new investors, talk to potential customers and make new strategic connections," said Dr. Lemma. "This win motivates us to keep improving the quality of African healthcare."

Earlier this year, Dr. Lemma and Lalibela Global-Networks were named a Top 20 finalist for the Jack Ma Foundation-promoted 2020 Africa’s Business Heroes prize.