Amani R. Holder, C'2018, of Saint Petersburg, Florida, has earned the title of salutatorian for the class of 2018. Holder chose to attend Spelman College because she felt it would be the best place for her to gain an excellent education and develop into the woman she wanted to become. She is grateful to her family, friends, professors, mentors, and fiancé for their unwavering support and contributions to her success.
Holder was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior and serves as the 2017-2018 vice president of the Spelman College chapter of Psi Chi International Honor Society for psychology. As part of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, she has completed an honors thesis and presented her research at local and national conferences. Holder was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Fellowship and Rachel Robinson International Fellowship to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. She also received the Gordon-Zeto & Gates Scholarship to study in Cuenca, Ecuador.
As a Bonner Scholar, Holder served the West End community and beyond completing more than 1,600 hours of service including interning with AmeriCorps, KIPP Strive Academy, Congressman John Lewis, the Behavioral Health Unit of the Fulton County Juvenile Justice Center, and the Center for Black Women’s Wellness.
Holder is also active on campus as the curriculum coordinator for the Insight Initiative, an organization that mentors and teaches life skills to 3rd-5th-grade students at Dunbar Elementary School in Atlanta. Furthermore, she serves as the service event coordinator for Children’s Village Market which works to combat childhood food insecurity in the West End.
Upon graduation, Holder will attend Indiana University to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.