Amaia Calhoun is a senior economics major with a double minor in Spanish and Management & Organization. On May 21, 2023, she will graduate Summa Cum Laude as one of Spelman College's four valedictorians.

Calhoun has been on the Dean’s List at Spelman for four years and is a member of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, Omicron Delta Epsilon International Economics Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, and the Eta Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was invited to join Phi Beta Kappa this year and has served as the secretary of business and finance for the 81st administration of Spelman’s Student Government Association. The Cleveland, Ohio native participated in Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) as a Career Prep Fellow, and conducted research in economics as a Spelman-Sloan Scholar and VLab research assistant. 

Calhoun desires to pursue a career related to the allocation of capital based on the historical exclusion of underrepresented groups, specifically the Black community, from wealth-building activities. Growing up in a family business environment allowed her to experience firsthand how capital can create change in minority communities. Additionally, her coursework and research experiences in economics have allowed her to study issues of unequal distribution of resources more closely. Her family and academic backgrounds have informed her interest in and passion for work focused on leveraging capital for good. After graduation, she will join Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO) as an investment analyst. She wants to be a bridge of understanding where capital is not just seen as a means for gaining material wealth, but as a mechanism for social change.