Florida A&M is competing against 48 historically black colleges and universities in the 24th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge in Los Angeles.
The HCASC, which began Saturday and will end Wednesday, is the only academic competition held between the various HBCUs around the country. The tournament will test the competitors in science, religion, world history, social sciences, science, literature, the arts, popular culture and African-American history.
Vivian Hobbs is coaching the team for the 23rd year in a row. This year’s team members are Baysha Bernales, a third-year physics student from Hawthorne, Fla.; Kimberlyn Elliot, a first-year history student from Gainesville, Fla.; Aubrey Upshur, a third-year newspaper journalism student from Philadelphia; and Lila Mandela, a fourth-year mathematics student from Tallahassee.
“This team is unstoppable,” Hobbs said in a press release dated April 5. “We are a family. They have been spending countless hours in preparing for this competition. Some of my former champions have been assisting them.”
FAMU has won seven HCASC national championships, receiving more than $500,000 in scholarship money. FAMU is the only team to have won this honor.
For more information on the HCASC and a list of the other HBCUs in the competition, visit www.hcasc.com.