ATLANTA (April 26, 2021) – A talented group of Spelman College students competed against teams from seven other historically Black colleges and universities to win $1 million in the Goldman Sachs Market Madness: HBCUs Possibilities Program.
The competition, which is in its inaugural year, was the culmination of a four-month class in finance fundamentals offered to 125 HBCU first- and second-year college students. Led by Goldman Sachs professionals, the classes prepared students to participate in the Market Madness case-study competition. The initiative is part of the company’s $25 million commitment to support and invest in the power of HBCUs.
Fifteen students representing Spelman in the program were separated into three teams of five for the competition. The Goldman Sachs Dream Team made up of sophomores Britney Kwakye, Gia Tejeda, Whitney Williams, Anisah Thomas and Caroline Whitfield took home the top honors after presenting a stellar strategic solution to Procter and Gamble, the subject of the case competition.
“The students who represented Spelman in the Goldman Sachs Market Madness competition demonstrated mastery of their concept, preparedness, tenacity and creativity,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. “We are proud of the success of the winning team and all of those who participated. As an institution born out of the will to educate Black women, Spelman applauds their success. This competition is a perfect example of providing our students with life changing opportunities.”
The students were inspired and motivated by the experience.
“Words can’t begin to describe how proud I am of myself and my teammates,” said Tejeda. “It has been an honor to represent our beloved institution. I often remind myself of the idea that if your dreams don’t scare you, dream bigger. And, while this was a big dream, I remained steadfast in my faith, believed in myself, and always reassured my team that we’d take home the prize. This one is for the home team!”
Hannah Archibald, C’2023, who was part of a team with Jaden Hunter, C’2022, Ariel Haygood, C’2023, Aiyanna Manning, C’2023, and Mika Campbell, C’2024, said she is proud of her Spelman sisters for winning the competition.
Sophomores Nava Levene-Harvell, Gabrielle Strawn, Camille Franklin, Alexandra Jenkins, and Imani Bennet made up the other competition team.
“The final idea presented by the winning team was phenomenal. It was no surprise to me when they won first place,” said Archibald. “I feel so honored to have been a part of the inaugural Market Madness program hosted by Goldman Sachs. The opportunity was truly a blessing. I thank Spelman College and Goldman Sachs. This program has had a wonderful impact on my career development and in my personal life.”
Students from Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University and Prairie View A&M University also participated. Each student will receive a $10,000 academic stipend from Goldman Sachs upon completion of the fourteen-week program.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country’s leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 54 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 19 for undergraduate teaching, No. 4 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 14th year among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU, and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, and partnerships have been established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.
