TORRANCE, Calif., April 18, 2022– For more than 30 years, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) has showcased the talents of top HBCU students and helped to foster a network of “friends for life” through its annual challenge or tournament.
Wondering what HCASC is? Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is a year-round program celebrating Black academic excellence and bringing together top HBCU students from all over the U.S.
It involves teams comprised of four students facing off in head-to-head competition and quickly answering questions about Black history and culture, science, literature, religion, math, the arts, pop culture, and sports.
About the HCASC tournament
The 2022 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament journey has just ended for more than 60 teams from HBCUs.
It’s now in its 33rd year. HCASC is America’s premier academic competition among HBCUs, annually bringing together more than 300 HBCU students, coaches, presidents, and institutional representatives.
This year’s virtual HCASC National Championship Series started on March 13, involving preliminary rounds, and narrowing the field to the “Super 16” teams that advanced to the playoffs on March 20.
From there, the remaining “Great Eight” teams fought for the national championship title on April 10-12, with the chance to win the grand prize.
This year’s grand prize is a $75,000 institutional grant from Honda!
This is how HCASC can help you:
- HCASC challenges you to expand your scope of knowledge on a wide range of topics.
- It helps to develop your leadership and collaboration skills.
- The program allows you to compete against students from other HBCUs, network, build camaraderie, and gain mentorship opportunities with HCASC alumni.
- Beyond the competition, Honda provides development seminars to help prepare you for success after graduation.
The tournament aims to uniquely combine educational and personal development experiences beyond the classroom.
“For over 30 years, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge has been a cornerstone of Honda’s community efforts, elevating Black academic excellence on a national level, and creating a special network of friends for life among HBCU students,” said Alexandra Warnier, manager of Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda’s philosophy is The Power of Dreams. Through HCASC, students have the unique opportunity to work toward their dreams while developing leadership and collaboration skills that will help them excel beyond the classroom.”
Honda has provided nearly $400,000 in institutional grants to the participating HBCUs, with many of the schools utilizing the grants to fund student scholarships.
The National Championship Tournament was held on April 10-12, with a single-elimination tournament that determined the winner.
This year’s winning team
Congratulations to the men of Morehouse College, as they were crowned the HCASC National Championship for the 5th time.
Coached by Robert Myrick, the championship team features team captain Stephen Agyepong, a senior majoring in Biology from Silver Spring, Md., Isaiah Thompson, a senior majoring in Economics from Stone Mountain, Ga., Andre Brown, a junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering from Atlanta, and Kendall Wood, a junior majoring in Biology from Cleveland.
Speaking on the win, Myrick said, “The HCASC community has provided me with some of my most valued relationships. In addition to the 75+ brothers that comprise the Morehouse quiz bowl fraternity, I’ve developed lasting bonds with peers at the majority of our nation’s HBCUs.”
What’s more, Thompson expressed, “HCASC has been very impactful for me and a very large part of my Morehouse experience. Participating is a way for me to leave my mark on the institution and this Championship solidified that for me.”
“I would say that if you know a little bit about a lot of stuff, or a lot in one topic then to just try it out and to have some fun with it.,” Wood revealed. “We don’t know everything as individuals, and we have our own strengths, but as a team, we know that much more than on our own. We make each other smarter, as iron sharpens iron.”
Check out this year’s quarter-final, semi-final, and final games:
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 like 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.
Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity! Join the HCASC team at your HBCU and follow HCASC updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Learn more about the program at http://hcasc.com.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the US, Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its customers and associates live and work.
Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.
Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/