27 May 2025 3 minute read
As the U.S. News and World Report No. 1 historically black college and university (HBCU) in the nation for the 17th year in a row, upwards of 13,000 young women apply to Spelman College each year with the dream of becoming a Spelman woman. For many of those accepted, it is a joyous time, but if financial help is not available, their dream could be deferred. It is these women — the ones who are unable to pass through the gates of Spelman due to financial constraints — that have always stood out to Aeva Gaymon Doomes, M.D., C’2000.
“I really thought of the students Spelman misses out on,” she said.
Doomes met one while serving as an attending on the children’s unit and chair of child psychiatry at a hospital. When one of her residents realized Doomes had matriculated at Spelman, she mentioned how she had been accepted to Spelman, but financial difficulty precluded her from attending. Doomes saw this as a loss not just for the young woman, but for Spelman.
“She was by far the most impressive resident I ever had,” she recalled. “I didn’t want Spelman to miss out on incredible Black women because of the cost of tuition.”
This student’s story, as well as Doomes vision to ultimately see Spelman become the first tuition-free HBCU based on the College’s endowment, sparked the idea for a special giving initiative. Meeting with Spelman leadership, it was clear to Doomes that to provide a feasible student scholarship, the initial investment needed to be well over $500,000, which meant “finding at least 20 classmates that would [each] commit to giving at least $25,000.” She also wanted to be able to present the first scholarship by 2025, which would mark the 25th reunion for the Class of 2000.
While Doomes admits she got many nos before she got to her first yes, ultimately, she convinced 20 of her Class of 2000 sisters to join her in opening their purses. Their cause became known as the Spelman 20/20 Visionaries Endowment Fund, and they successfully raised more than $500,000. Their first scholarship is slated to be given out this year.
Nicole “Nikki” Yvonne Williams, who was the first to say yes to Doomes, had never given a donation this large to any organization. But she said she knew this was for Spelman and that God would provide a way.
“Spelman blessed me in so many ways, and I wanted to be a blessing by giving back in a significant and impactful way,” she said. “When Aeva approached me with the idea for the endowed scholarship, I knew this was a great opportunity to join with my classmates to create a lasting legacy for future Spelmanites.”
Lauren Copeland N’Namdi, a fourth-generation HBCU graduate, was also immediately on board when approached because she trusted Doomes’s vision.
“Those four years on campus are my most treasured memories,” she said. “I knew my contribution could aid in the development of another young woman's future. It became my reason why.”
For Fonda D. Martin, M.D., the reason was even more personal. She gave as a way to pay tribute to her grandmother, the late Rosa Lee Davenport, who attended Spelman but was unable to complete the degree because of financial constraints. Martin said that her grandmother spoke about Spelman often and even though she didn’t graduate, she felt that just being able to attend Spelman was a dream fulfilled.
“One of the happiest days of my grandmother’s life was when I graduated from Spelman College,” said Martin. With her donation, she is not only fulfilling her grandmother’s dream, which she said “has been a great honor and very humbling,” but also is helping to ensure “all the talented young women who come to Spelman can carry on the Spelman legacy without the burden of financial debt.”
While the Class of 2000 has done an impressive job of raising funds, Doomes and her cohorts hope this will inspire an opportunity for friendly sisterly competition in giving among other classes.
“We want to inspire a new culture of giving at Spelman,” she said. “We want another group of women to come up and do it bigger and do it better [because] I think we all want a future for every young Spelman graduate to be able to dream without limits and achieve without boundaries. We are unwavering in that vision.”
Spelman 20/20 Visionaries
Endowment Fund Donors
This article, by Rozalynn S. Frazier, C‘2000, originally appeared in the Spelman Messenger Spring/Summer 2024 Edition.
Spelman Messenger Spring/Summer 2024 Edition Spelman Messenger
