ATLANTA — Emory Pruitt made waves when, at 15, she was named among the youngest freshman ever admitted to Clark Atlanta University. Now, she's receiving attention again for not only hear academic determination - but also her giving spirit.
Over the holidays, Pruitt, now 16, gave back through random acts of kindness. Videos of Pruitt buying Christmas presents for single mothers and blessing people with money hit the internet.
“I have always wanted to bless others but I never really had the money to do it so when God did bless me with a great amount of money, the first thing on my mind was to give back to others and those that pushed me and motivated me,” Pruitt told 11Alive.
And Pruitt is keeping the motivation alive as she heads back to class for the spring semester. 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 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.
