FAMU Honda Campus All-Star Team Advances to National Competition (1547 hits)
The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) team has won an invitation to the National Qualifying Tournament, after a weekend of exciting competition hosted by Winston Salem State University. FAMU will join 31 fellow historically black colleges and universities in a quest to win the national championship trophy and a $100,000 institutional grant. The National Championship Tournament will be held at the American Honda Motors corporate headquarters in Torrance, California in April.
“Congratulations to the Florida A&M University Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team for advancing to the national qualifying tournament. Their knowledge, teamwork, and competitive spirit exemplify the excellence of FAMU scholars, and we are proud to see them keep the Rattlers in contention for a ninth national championship,” said President Marva Johnson, J.D. “I commend American Honda Motor Company for its continued commitment to showcasing academic excellence at HBCUs.”
During the qualifying rounds, the Rattler scholars displayed a vast array of knowledge across multiple subjects, including history, current events, science, literature, religion, and pop culture. This year’s team includes:
Kenneth D. Smith, Captain Junior, Civil Engineering major Jacksonville, Florida
Jordyn Williams Sophomore, Biology/Pre-Med major Daytona Beach, Florida
Cadence Smith Senior, Psychology major Gainesville, Florida
Elijah Sorunmu Junior, History major Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Founded in 1989, HCASC is one of American Honda’s signature annual philanthropic events and over the past 36 years, the company has provided more than $9 million in grants that have been used for scholarships, programs, and facility upgrades at HBCUs. The FAMU team, led by Vivian L. Hobbs. Ph.D., since its inception by the late President Frederick S. Humphries and Col. Bernard Hendricks in 1991, has won eight national championships and nearly one million dollars in grants—tops among all competing HBCUs.
"I have never been so impressed with a group of students who have never played HCASC before, and I am looking forward to seeing how they measure up against the other 31 finalists in California," said Coach Hobbs.
