Atlanta’s Spelman College has begun to recruit 16-year-old Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, the first African American to win all-around gold in Olympic gymnastics.
Spelman president Dr. Beverly Tatum reportedly has flown out to London to get a head start on recruiting.
According to an unnamed source, Spelman would love to have Gabby attend the college, and have made the gymnastics superstar the school’s number one recruit.
Earlier this week a photo was taken of Douglas and her mother holding a gift bag from Spelman. The bag, presented by Coca Cola exec and Spelman alum Helen Smith Price, contained a congratulatory note, school t-shirt and a CD containing a song produced by the college.
In a statement released to TMZ, Tatum makes no mention of recruiting the 16-year-old star but does admit the school would love for her to attend.
“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,” the statement said.
Spelman College is an all-female historically black liberal art’s college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Spelman is consistently ranked among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges by Forbes and the U.S. News and World Reports, and once again was named the #1 HBCU in the country this year.
The college also ranks among the nation’s top 50 four-year colleges and universities for producing Fulbright Scholars, while also being the second largest producer of African-American college graduates who attend medical school.
Some of the school’s notable alumni include the Executive VP of Walmart Rosalind Brewer, Dean of Harvard College Evelynn M. Hammonds, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Alice Walker and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam.
There has been no word from Douglas or her family concerning her interest in the College.
