Columbia, SC, March 28, 2023 – The journey to the 34th Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament is underway for the team of scholars from Benedict College. HCASC, America’s premier academic competition among HBCUs, annually brings together more than 250 HBCU students, coaches, presidents, and institutional representatives for a tournament that uniquely combines educational and personal development experiences beyond the classroom. After advancing in the HCASC National Qualifying Tournament in February, Benedict College is one of 32 teams that will compete in April on the corporate campus of American Honda in Torrance, Calif., for the HCASC National Championship title and a $75,000 institutional grant from Honda. Tune in to the live stream April 20‐21 on www.hcasc.com.
“I congratulate our scholars for their hard work and dedication,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. “Their exceptional performance highlights our coaches and the coordinator’s dedication to student success and showcasing the BEST of BC!”
This is the 26th year Benedict College has participated in the Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge. Michael Eric Dawson, a senior majoring in Business Administration from El Paso, TX, Charlene A. Hills a junior majoring in English from Plainfield, NJ, Kayla Rolle a senior majoring in English from Freeport, Grand Bahama and Marly Alexandra Pierre a sophomore majoring in Cybersecurity from Roselle, NJ will represent Benedict College. Dr. Brittany F. Morrone will coach the team.
Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge is a year‐round program celebrating Black excellence and showcasing the academic talents of top HBCU students from across the country. Four‐student teams face off in head‐to‐head competition and must quickly answer questions about history, science, literature, religion, math, the arts, pop culture, and sports. HCASC challenges students to expand their scope of knowledge on a wide range of topics while also helping to develop their leadership and collaboration skills. With the opportunity to compete against students from other HBCUs, participants build camaraderie, gain mentorship opportunities with HCASC alumni, and make “friends for life.” Beyond the competition, Honda provides development seminars aimed at increasing career readiness and student empowerment.
This year, Honda will provide more than $400,000 in institutional grants to the participating HBCUs with many of the schools utilizing the grants to fund student scholarships. More than 145,000 scholars have competed in HCASC since the academic tournament was established in 1989.
Pictured in featured photo:
Front Row: Charlene Hills
Second Row: Dr. Brittany Morrone, Ms. Afiya Tyler, Dana Burks, Marly Pierre, Kayla Rolle, Dr. Shaneen Corujo
Third Row: Michael Dawson
For more information about HCASC:
Lillian E. Parker, Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge: lillian@hcasc.com
Yolanda White, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.: yolanda_white@na.honda.com
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About Benedict College (benedict.edu)
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution, offering 26 competitive baccalaureate degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from all 46 counties in South Carolina, 30 states across America, and 26 countries around the world.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. Benedict College was ranked as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine for creating social mobility and producing cutting-edge scholarship and research. In 2019, Benedict College received the 2019 ACE/ Fidelity Investments Awards for Institutional Transformation and was named the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest. Benedict College was listed among the top half of ranked HBCUs in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges by US News and World Report.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Six of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: The School of Education, Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Environmental Engineering Program, Studio Art Program, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Honda and Historically Black Colleges and Universities
For over 30 years, Honda has supported the success and dreams of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students through initiatives including the Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge and Honda Battle of the Bands. These programs provide unforgettable experiences and opportunities for HBCU students, including meeting and networking with peers from other HBCU schools. Honda has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 students and awarded over $14 million in grants in support of HBCU education programs and facilities improvements.
To advance its leading investment in HBCUs, Honda is a member of the HBCU Partnership Challenge, a Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus initiative that brings together government, industry and HBCUs to create strategic, more sustainable HBCU partnerships. Honda also has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to provide annual scholarship funding to support HBCU students pursuing an education in engineering, supply chain management and manufacturing‐related fields.
