ASU Students Advance to Honda's National Championship Tournament

 

By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU

 

The journey to the 35th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament is underway for the team of student-scholars from Alabama State University. It will be held April 11 - 12.

 "The Honda event is America's premier academic competition among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and it annually brings together hundreds of HBCU students, coaches, presidents and institutional representatives for a tournament that uniquely combines educational and personal development experiences beyond the classroom," explained Dr. Ivon Alcime, associate professor of Communications, who is also the team's coach. "This is the 29th year Alabama State University has participated in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge."

 

 

ASU's team members and coach (photo by David Campbell/ASU).

 

FEBRUARY WIN MOVED ASU’s TEAM TO THE NATIONALS

After advancing in the Honda National Qualifying Tournament in February, Alabama State University became one of only 32 teams nationwide that will compete in April on the corporate campus of American Honda in Torrance, Calif., for the HCASC National Championship title and a portion of the more than $500,000 in institutional grants provided by Honda. 

 

ASU STUDENTS WHO WILL COMPETE

The ASU student-scholars who will represent the University in California are as follows:

 

* Samantha Rodman, a junior majoring in History from Montgomery, Alabama;

* Gabriel A. Bryant, a freshman majoring in Biology and Pre-Med from Birmingham, Alabama;

* Vanella Tadjuidje, a senior majoring in Biology and Pre-Med from Cincinnati, Ohio;

* Savannah S. Mendenhall, a senior majoring in Accounting from Blue Mound, Illinois.

ABOUT HONDA'S PROGRAM
The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is a year-round program that celebrates HBCU academic excellence and showcases the best and brightest minds from HBCUs across the country. The 32 teams at this year's national competition are composed of four students each, who will go head-to-head in a battle of scholastic skill, quickly answering questions covering a range of topics, including history, science, math, popular culture, and more.

“The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge has provided a national stage for generations of talented HBCU students to display their impressive academic capabilities and the rich culture of HBCUs,” said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda is proud of our longstanding commitment to supporting and inspiring the next generation of leaders by providing HBCU students with the tools and experiences they need to live their dreams.”

For 35 years, Honda has supported the success and dreams of students representing HBCUs through initiatives such as 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 250,000 students and awarded more than $14 million in grants in support of HBCU education programs and facilities improvements.

 

Learn more at https://www.honda.com/community/diversity-reports.

 

Watch the competition by tuning in to the livestream on April 11 –12 at www.hcasc.com.

 

ASU news media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.  

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