Spelman College Senior Jamia Pitts Receives Fellowship for Aspiring Teachers

ATLANTA, GA (02/02/2012)(readMedia)-- Senior English major Jamiah Pitts, is among 25 college students selected for the Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brother Fund Fellowship (WW-RBF) for Aspiring Teachers of Color. Chosen through a competitive selection process, the Columbus, OH native and other WW-RBF fellows will each receive a $30,000 stipend. To prepare them to become educators in high-need public schools, fellows will complete their master's degree in education, receive support throughout a three-year teaching commitment, and guidance to help them obtain their teaching certification.

Pitts, a dedicated Spelman student, has participated in the glee club, serving on the advisory board and organized events for the campus bible study group, Esther's Circle. She is currently an associate in the Social Justice Fellows Program and this past summer served as a fellow for the UNCF Social Entrepreneurship Program where she interned in Washington, D.C.

Each WW-RBF fellow was nominated by one of the program's 48 nominating institutions and 29 graduate education programs. Established in 1992 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color was created to help recruit, support, and retain individuals of African-American decent as public education teachers and administrators. The program seeks to enlist, train, and preserve effective teachers for the students and schools who need them most.

About Spleman College

Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts an 83 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis; authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 85 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 11:1. Approximately 2,100 students attend Spelman. Spelman College has been ranked as the number one HBCU for five consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report; number 62 among Best Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News & World Report; and 12th for Best Career Services by The Princeton Review. For more information, visit:: www.spelman.edu.