Brooklyn, New York native Ashanna Morris is one of the top 10 graduates for the Spelman College class of 2018. Graduating summa cum laude with a 3.88 grade point average, the English major will join the class of 472 students during Spelman’s 131st Commencement on Sunday, May 20, at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.
A graduate of Benjamin Banneker Academy for Community Development in Brooklyn, Morris recently worked as a creative brand marketing intern for CNN and in the 360 consumer marketing and brand strategy department for BET Networks.
Recognizing that today’s contemporary media environment demands a promotional strategy that acknowledges the diverse ways in which audiences consume media online and in print, the first generation college student plans to pursue a career in brand marketing with hopes of becoming the editor of a major magazine publication.
Spelman has helped mold me into the woman I have always wanted to become,” said Morris.“From my professors who have pushed me to my highest form of excellence, to participating in internships that have pushed me well beyond my comfort zone, I am ready for what the future has to offer me,” she said.
As a 2018 Women of Excellence in Leadership scholar, Morris hopes to use her platform to inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
I am eager to teach the future generation of marketing moguls the 
importance of literacy and leadership by providing them the insight they will need to jump start their careers.