A unique and inspiring story lies at the heart of Spelman College, an HBCU institution renowned for academic excellence and producing powerful Black women. Amidst the vibrant and bustling campus life, a select group of students are forging a different path that combines the intellectual rigor of higher education with the discipline and dedication of military service.
Spelman's Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs provide an opportunity for a remarkable journey for the students who choose to serve their country. Spelman students participate in the ROTC programs for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The College has crosstown partnership agreements that allow students to join the Army ROTC at Georgia State University, Navy ROTC at Morehouse, and Air Force ROTC at Georgia Institute of Technology. Some cadets benefit from full scholarships awarded by their military branches in exchange for a commissioned commitment and some work to pay their tuition, room and board.
Cadet Briana Fewell, C'2025, is one of the rising leaders. Fewell knew exactly what she wanted to do before stepping onto Spelman’s campus. She was a junior in high school and one of 100 students who received a full-ride scholarship and stipend to attend ROTC. The J-100 scholarship allowed her to attend Spelman and sign up for the Air Force ROTC at Georgia Tech, with four years of 100% paid tuition, a $10,000 per-year allowance, an annual book stipend, and a monthly cadet stipend.
“This allowed me to focus on receiving a degree and doing well in ROTC without the distraction of having to pay for tuition,” Fewell said. She is in her fourth year at Spelman, studying computer science and participating in the Air Force ROTC program. During her matriculation and time in the program, she has grown, and with growth comes a set of challenges. She found issues within the transportation system and created a solution to help others.
“Although Spelman has had a crosstown agreement with GA Tech for over 20 years, I often felt as if Spelman was unfamiliar with how to handle crosstown cadets. I had help from Ms. Mia Oliver in financial aid and Ms. Helene Moon with cross-registration, but outside of my own desire to pursue this career, there was no external guidance on how to be successful on this road less traveled,” said Fewell. “After learning from my shortcomings, I did my best to ensure that no one had to experience the disadvantages I had in my first few years as a Spelman student who did Air Force ROTC at Georgia Tech.”
As a freshman, Fewell rode the MARTA from the historic west end MARTA station to GA Tech and back. As part of the AFROTC, students are enrolled full-time at Spelman and take weekly ROTC classes at Georgia Institute of Technology — Detachment 165. The commute is 2.8 miles, 10 minutes by car and up to 35 minutes by bus; pending traffic. Fewell created a carpool system for her Detachment (165) to ensure that no other crosstown female student felt alone or unsafe in their transportation.
“It took me months to know who the points of contact for Air Force ROTC were, so I created several helpful videos that were spread across social media to help prospective high school students,” said Fewell.
Her efforts reached three prospective students who now attend Spelman and participate in AFROTC. “Briana Fewell heavily influenced me to join ROTC. I found her on Instagram because of her videos on ROTC. While having the same scholarship as her, I knew I would go to a school and do Air Force ROTC, but my friendship with Briana solidified that that school would be Spelman. Her kind-hearted nature immediately comforted me and introduced me to the community I would find in ROTC and Spelman,” said Cadet Segalene “Sage” Gaillard, C'2028.
Gaillard, a freshman from Springfield, VA, hopes to use her AFROTC training to join the United States Space Force and pursue a career in engineering or project management. She has found community at Spelman and AFROTC. “My Spelman experience impacted me because it provides a place of comfort to come back to. The girls I have met make my day exponentially better and the closeness I feel on campus is unlike anywhere else I have been,” said Gaillard. “There are people rooting for me.”
In addition to creating videos about her AFROTC journey to help guide others into a smooth transition, Fewell also participated in recruiting events.
“I actually met Briana when she spoke on an extracurriculars panel at Spelbound during my senior year of high school. Hearing her experiences with ROTC encouraged me to join the program,” said Cadet Savannah Alexander, C'2027, a Washington D.C., native and sophomore political science major. Alexander plans to use her skills and knowledge from AFROTC to attend law school.
“I want to serve as a judge advocate general, a military lawyer, and help airmen and Space Force guardians with their personal and professional legal issues,” Alexander said. “Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, founding director of the Women's Resource and Research Center, and Professor Claudia Alejo in the Department of World Languages helped influence me. Dr. Guy-Sheftall's women's studies class taught me to apply a feminist lens to any issue or situation. I hope to use this in the future to foster inclusivity and equity in my career field.”
“The biggest benefits of attending the AFROTC program are the ability to build confidence in leadership skills, network, and feel a sense of belonging, as well as finding direction in life. Many college students are not sure where they are headed, even if they know what they want to focus on as a career. Graduating from the AFROTC program and commissioning as an officer in the Air Force gives them a guaranteed career with the ability to travel and gain experience in whatever their chosen field is with solid job security. They also discover a built-in community of talents, skills, and personalities from all over the world that can lead to opportunities not previously imagined,” said U.S.A.F. Captain Donnell Brown.
Several Spelman women have graduated and earned accomplished military careers. Major General Marcelite J. Harris, C'1964 was the first female aircraft maintenance officer, one of the first two female air officers commanding at the United States Air Force Academy, and the Air Force’s first female director of maintenance. She also served as a White House social aide during the Carter administration. Her service medals and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Service Medal. Harris retired as a Major General in 1997. She was the highest-ranking female officer in the Air Force and the Nation’s highest-ranking African-American woman in the Department of Defense. She passed in 2018.
La'Shanda Holmes, C'2007, became the first Black woman to be certified as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is one of 85 women aviators among the 1,200 pilots in the Coast Guard. Be inspired by Holmes' ability to excel despite the odds.
The program provides a jump start for the students to achieve their dreams. Abeni Hemmings, C'2025, a senior economics major and naval science minor, from Dumfries, VA, joined the Navy ROTC program to pursue her aspirations of becoming a Navy JAG – Judge Advocate General.
“This role will allow me to merge my passion for law with my commitment to service in the Navy,” said Hemmings. “I look forward to advocating for justice, providing legal support to service members, and upholding the values and integrity of the military.”
Hemmings has participated in several on-campus programs and found her experience at the College and in the military to be impactful.
“Attending Spelman has profoundly shaped my work by fostering a strong sense of purpose, discipline, and leadership. Spelman's emphasis on academic excellence, community engagement, and the celebration of excellence has deeply influenced my approach to both my studies and my role in ROTC,” said Hemmings. “While here, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, which has provided me with an intellectual community dedicated to furthering my curiosity and academic growth. The supportive environment and rich history have instilled a greater responsibility to contribute meaningfully to my community and future military service.”
The Air Force ROTC's Detachment 165 is based out of the Georgia Institute of Technology and host to 11 cross-town schools in the metro Atlanta area. Since its inception in the 1920s, Detachment 165 has commissioned over 1,700 officers for the United States Air Force and was recently ranked in the top 10% of AFROTC detachments nationwide. The key to our success is simple, and can be identified easily as the three core values of the Air Force: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. Detachment 165's mission is to train cadets and develop leaders who will excel in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force and go on to positively impact their units, their airmen, and the world.
The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps is comprised of students who attend Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University. Their mission is to develop midshipmen mentally, morally, and physically and imbue them with the highest ideals of duty and loyalty, with a focus on the Navy's Core Values of honor, courage, and commitment. Each college graduate earn a commission into military service as Navy and Marine Corps officers who possess basic leadership traits, a tested professional background, and a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command in both citizenship and government.