ATLANTA — Congratulations, Emory Pruitt! At 15 years old, she became Clark Atlanta University’s youngest student, the college said in a release sent to 11Alive.
Pruitt enrolled this semester as one of the youngest students in the HBCU’s history and the "youngest student in recent memory," the school reported.
Her journey has not always been easy, but Pruitt is inspiring lots of people along the way.
“Although she graduated high school early with a 3.7 GPA, Pruitt’s path to college was marked by challenges. At her hometown high school, she was mocked for being a young Black woman who dared to dream big,” the university wrote in a statement.
Pruitt is from Hendersonville, Tenn., located about 20 miles from Nashville. She is one of the thousands navigating college during the worldwide pandemic as a first-year student. She offered a message of resilience and hope in a statement from Clark Atlanta.
“It actually was the dedication and my family that pushed me each day,” Pruitt, now 16, said. “I should thank the people that doubted me; that just made me work even harder.”
Karen Pruitt, Emory’s mother, said she believes enrolling her daughter in online classes at Penn Foster High School allowed Emory to focus on her studies and block out the noise.
“I know that this was the best choice to protect her and her feelings; no one should have to defend the color of their skin,” Karen said. “Words would not be able to describe how thrilled and excited she was to have come across a dream come true.”
That dream was made even sweeter when Emory’s brother Elijah Pruitt was also accepted into Clark Atlanta University for the 2020 school year, the university said.
Clark Atlanta University made the early call to move to fully remote learning before the 2020-21 academic year began, so it’s a great transition for Emory who was already attending school online.
University President Dr. George T. French, Jr. felt an even greater moral responsibility to keep students, faculty and staff safe by implementing a comprehensive plan rooted in science and medical expert advice, the school reported.
"Ms. Pruitt has already accomplished so much in just 16 years and we know she’ll continue to build on her successes," Lorri Saddler, Associate Vice President/Dean of Admissions said.
