Terri H. Reed

Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, it became Spelman College in 1924 and have since held the distinction of being America's oldest historically Black college for women. Now a global leader in the education of women of African descent, Spelman College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and they are proud members of the Atlanta University Center Consortium. Today their student body comprises more than 2,100 students from 41 states and 15 foreign countries. Spelman empowers women to engage the many cultures of the world and inspires a commitment to positive social change through service. They are dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership development of their students. Spelman is proud of its 80-plus percent graduation rate, one of the best in the nation. Their global alumnae network is strong, providing connections and helping hands to graduates as they begin on their path of global engagement.

The George Washington University actively engages Washington, D.C., and the world. Their location in the heart of Washington places them at the core of U.S. government, policy and law. They sit where the worlds of science, technology, media and the arts converge. Their students and faculty have the unparalleled opportunity to study and work alongside leaders and practitioners in every discipline, to take part in the interchanges that shape our community and the world. The George Washington University was created in 1821 through an Act of Congress, fulfilling George Washington’s vision of an institution in the nation’s capital dedicated to educating and preparing future leaders. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. They have more than 20,000 students—from all 50 states, the District and more than 130 countries—studying a rich range of disciplines: from forensic science and creative writing to international affairs and computer engineering, as well as medicine, public health, the law and public policy. GW comprises three campuses—Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon in Washington, D.C., and the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Va.—as well as several graduate education centers in the metropolitan area and Hampton Roads, Va.