Stacey Abrams Speaker Series (Attending author/speaker talks) — Natalie Alexander (Class of 2029) 2 points

    

    On Thursday, February 5, I attended one of Spelman College’s Speaker Series sessions where renowned Spelman alumna Stacey Abrams spoke. Abrams graduated from Spelman College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies before going on to pursue a career in public policy. The panel was led by Spelman’s SGA President who asked Abrams very thought provoking questions. During the discussion, Abrams talked about the importance of accepting your losses and not allowing them to stop you from progressing forward as well as the importance of speaking truth to power. When it comes to problem-solving, she said it’s important to look for gaps rather than attempting to solve the same problems as others. As a successful leader herself, she made sure to note that leadership is not tied to a specific major or profession but rather that it comes with intention. As a first-year still finding my place here at Spelman, it was very reassuring to hear that success is not tied to specific majors or student organizations. It is up to me to excel in whatever I put my mind to. Listening to Abrams speak was truly inspiring, and I appreciated her sisterly advice to the student body because I could tell she genuinely wanted what was best for all of us. I thoroughly enjoyed attending this event and am looking forward to hearing her speak again. Spelman should continue their distinguished alumna series and continue bringing influential speakers to bestow wisdom upon the student body. My suggestion for future events is to designate more time for the question and answer session whether that be through ending the panel discussion earlier or including student questions in the initial discussion. This would allow for the speaker to address more of the audience’s thoughts. 

By Natalie Alexander