Angelina Jolie Shares Heartfelt Moment She Dropped Daughter Zahara at Spelman College

It was an emotional day for Angelina Jolie, who was present to send off daughter Zahara Jolie-Pitt, whom she shares with her former husband Brad Pitt, for her freshman year at Spelman College. On August 10, the mother of six helped move the 17-year-old into campus at the renowned historically Black college.

A video posted by Darryl Holloman, Ph.D., the university’s Vice President of Student Affairs, features the 47-year-old actress discussing her daughter’s move-in day with school President Dr. Helene Gayle.Holloman (off-camera) asks the Oscar winner how it feels to be a “Spelman mom?”An overwhelmed Jolie responds, “I’m gonna start crying! I have not started crying yet.”

Dr. Gayle assures an emotional Jolie she will have “plenty of time to cry” during the convocation ceremony adding, “this ceremony is [to] purposely induce [tears]— bring it all out.” Jolie laughs, saying,”I heard tomorrow night’s the big night. I’m holding it together.” When asked again about being a Spelman mom, she replies, “I’m so excited.” 

Spelman also expressed enthusiasm about Zahara’s enrollment. Dr. Gayle told Entertainment Tonight, “We are honored that Zahara Jolie-Pitt and her family chose Spelman College, and we welcome Zahara enthusiastically into the Spelman sisterhood.” 

The school president continued, “As the #1 HBCU (historically Black college and university) in the country, there’s no place quite like Spelman, which has been an incubator for Black women’s education and excellence for more than 140 years. As well, it has a global network of alumnae that have and continue to change the world.” 

Holloman expressed similar sentiments and told Entertainment Tonight, “Spelman College is a magical place that provides excellence in education and a student life environment that is inclusive and diverse and allows women from different cultures and circumstances to be quickly integrated into Spelman life. It warms our hearts to see Zahara, among 575 freshmen, on campus bonding with her Spelman sisters.”  

Jolie announced last month that Zahara would attend the all-women Atlanta college this fall. “Zahara with her Spelman sisters!” the actress wrote on Instagram with a picture of her daughter surrounded by her future classmates.

“Congratulations to all new students starting this year,” she added. “A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl.”

Jolie garnered attention from a previous video showing her joining in the electric slide with future students of Spelman and Morehouse during the SpelHouse SendOff event held in Los Angeles for the two schools’ incoming first-year students. 

At the premiere of his action movie Bullet Train, PEOPLE asked Pitt what he thought about Zahara becoming a Spelman student. Pitt answered, “Yeah, that’s beautiful. Really beautiful.”Along with Zahara, Jolie and Pitt share twins Vivienne and Knox, 14, Shiloh, 16, Pax, 18, and Maddox, 20.