Student Profiles: Julissa Hunte

Julissa Hunte is already starting her Spelman career off with a bang. The incoming first-year student from Rio Rancho, N.M., is a participant in the Spelman College WiE-STEM Summer Bridge Program, and was one of 25 students across the country selected for the national SAMMY Award from a pool of 30,000 applicants.

The SAMMY Awards are  part of the National Milk Mustache "Got Milk"  campaign, and honor high school seniors who excel both on the field and in the classroom, "drink milk," and still find the time to contribute in the community. USA TODAY and a panel of Milk Mustache celebrity athletes, including Apolo Ohno, Chauncey Billups and Lindsey Vonn, were responsible for selecting the 25 scholarship winners.

Hunte, who earned a $7,500 scholarship, a family trip to Disney World, and a feature in USA Today, was chosen for her "her many achievements including leading Cleveland High School to district titles in soccer and track. She was also a state qualifier in track and field from 2008 through 2012, and was selected to the New Mexico All-State soccer team from 2009 through 2011 seasons " according to a release from the Milk Processor Education Program. 

The scholar-athlete also won the state championship in the 200-meter dash, and was on two state championship relay teams. She servesd as president of the Black Student Union and as a mentor through the University of New Mexico Saturday Math and Science Academy. She is committed to exposing more minority students to science and math.  

She is still deciding whether she will study chemistry or chemical engineering  at Spelman; but she is certain, however, that she wants to be go to law school and later become a patent attorney.

Learn more about Julissa and the SAMMY Award: http://sammymvp.com/julissa-hunte/