[hr] Jackson State University wins institutional grant of $20,000 by tying Morehouse College for third in the nation at the 30thannual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC).
“The competition was extremely close and could have gone either way in a few matches,” says team coach Joshua Cotton. “It’s a good feeling to come home as one of the HCASC top four schools in the nation.”
HCASC is America’s premier academic competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The fast-paced buzzer competition highlights students’ academic prowess and ability to answer questions about history, science, literature, religion, the arts and pop culture. The HCASC is a year-round program that centers on academic excellence, community service, leadership, networking opportunities and mentorship.
Led by team coach Joshua Cotton, Jackson State was represented in the national championship tournament by Justin Clarke, a junior majoring in Accounting from Memphis, TN; Kaitlin Alease Littleberry, a sophomore majoring in political science from Bakersfield, CA; Aaron Wilson Ridley, a freshman majoring in accounting from Memphis, TN; and Gamica Theresa Norwood, a junior majoring in math education from Gary, IN.
“The team was excited about winning third place and securing the $20,000 grant,” says Cotton. “This was the first national championship tournament for three of our starting four players.”
Jackson State has competed in the HCASC program for all 30 years of its existence. By doing so, the university has been rewarded a total of $300,000 in institutional grants to assist with student funding.
Since 1989, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, one of Honda’s longest running philanthropic initiatives in the United States, has celebrated and recognized the academic talents of HBCU students. Each year, Honda awards more than $350,000 in institutional grants to participating HBCUs in addition to providing travel, meals and accommodations for the 48 teams. Overall,more than $9 million in grants from Honda have provided support for scholarships, facility upgrades and other investments to improve the student experience at HBCUs.
JSU students interested in the program should contact the team’s coach Joshua Cotton at joshua.j.cotton@jsums.edu.