By Kawana McGough
The journey to the 34th Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament is underway for the team of scholars from Tuskegee University. 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, Tuskegee University is one of 32 teams that will compete later 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.
This is the 32nd year Tuskegee University has participated in the Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge. Olivia F. Cooper, a Senior majoring in Communications and Media Studies from Bloomfield, Conn., Joseph Rachal a Senior majoring in Economics & Finance from Ridgeland, Miss., Ileecea C. Askew a Senior majoring in Computer Science from Birmingham, Ala. and Joshua Ivan Johnson a Senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering from Bloomfield, NY will represent Tuskegee University. Dr. Worth Kamili Hayes, associate professor of history will coach the team.
“In Torrance, our team looks to build on the many achievements we have experienced throughout the season,” said Dr. Hayes. “In February, we won a highly competitive National Qualifying Tournament in Atlanta where we faced some of the top teams in the HCASC program. We hope to duplicate that success at the National Championship Tournament.”
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.
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.
