Spelman College’s Alpha Lambda Delta Chapter Wins Prestigious Award 

One of Just Five Chapters Recognized Nationwide 

The Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, a national honor society that recognizes students’ academic success in their first year, recently announced that Spelman College’s chapter has won the prestigious Order of the Torch Award for the 2024-25 academic year. This award recognizes the most outstanding ALD chapters based on chapter involvement, communication, visibility and overall presentation during the academic year. 

Spelman is one of just five institutions selected for the Order of the Torch Award this year. The chapter was advised by Cynthia Cooke, program coordinator, and Dr. Toni Stevens, literature, media and writing (formerly English) instructor. The chapter was led by:  

• Gabrielle Cassell, C’2027, President; 
• Finley Warren, C’2027, Vice President;  
• Skye Lafayette, C’2026, Secretary;  
• Khalice Johnson, C’2026, Treasurer;  
• Madison Smith, C’2027, & Dakota Teasdell, C’2026, Co-Social Events Chairs;  
• Anaya Stenson, C’2026, & Kourtney Player, C’2027, Co-Community Service Chairs; and  
• Laine McDaniel, C’2027, Historian. 

“We are immensely proud of Spelman’s Alpha Lambda Delta chapter for earning the prestigious national Order of the Torch Award. As one of the few HBCUs to receive this national recognition since 1989, this honor reflects our students' exceptional dedication, leadership and academic excellence,” said Cooke and Dr. Stevens in a joint statement. “ALD continues to lay a strong foundation for student achievement at Spelman, cultivating a culture of scholarship and service that prepares future leaders for impactful roles across the campus community and beyond.” 

To be considered for the award, each chapter had to submit a scrapbook portfolio describing their activities from the previous year. The portfolio’s development was supported by the commitment of dedicated members who helped bring the final product to completion. According to Cooke and Dr. Stevens, Lillya Akande, C’2028, historian for the upcoming 2025-26 year, was integral in drafting the winning portfolio.  

Once the portfolio was submitted, a committee of Board of Directors members reviewed the materials and selected the five winning chapters. The scrapbooks were judged based on chapter involvement, chapter communications, campus visibility and the presentation of the submitted portfolio. To view Spelman’s portfolio, visit nationalald.org/torch.  

 “We sincerely appreciate the work it takes to achieve the Order of the Torch award. The students from these winning institutions demonstrated high-quality programming, outstanding communication across campus and in their communities, and overall excellence” said Eileen Merberg, executive director of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.  

“College students have to juggle many responsibilities including academics, family, work, friends, community service, and participation in campus organizations. Given these reasons, Merberg notes “it is truly impressive what the winning chapters were able to accomplish this past year. These chapters were able to stay engaged and continue the important work of supporting student success.”  

Other institutions selected for the 2024-25 Order of the Torch Award include Endicott College, Dickinson College, Kent State University and the University of Massachusetts Boston.