Benedict College’s Honors Program is committed to cultivating a brighter future for our campus and the local community. With a focus on addressing twenty-first-century economic and racial injustices, we empower our students to become agents of change in a global society.
Our mission is to enhance the intellectual, cultural, and career opportunities for our critically inquisitive students, providing them with the tools they need to thrive. Join us in cultivating a generation of leaders who are ready to make a lasting impact!
Click here if you are interested in the Honors Program.
The Benedict College Honors Program provides its scholars with learning activities outside of the classroom that expand their horizons and align their education to the broader world. In so doing, we prepare these exceptional students to become true leaders in their chosen fields of study. Some of our enrichment opportunities include the annual conference of the National Association of African American Honors Programs, the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, the James Gaither Junior Fellowship, and the James E. Campbell Race and Social Justice Initiative.
Benedict College Honors Program scholars participate in the annual conference of the National Association for African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP). This national academic organization provides honors students with opportunities to present scholarly research, network, debate, and compete academically. Our honors program student Arianna Minns presented her research “Is Social Media Becoming the Primary Source of News?” at the 2021 NAAAHP Conference.
Benedict College Honors Program scholars are eligible to apply for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship. This program explores the impact that effective leaders have had on social justice movements and critical peace and conflict resolution efforts around the world.
Frederick Douglass Global Fellows will explore conflict and injustice from various perspectives and the leaders who sought to affect positive change for their communities and their countries. Fellows will return to America with new perspectives on how effective leaders influence positive social change and inspired to be the catalyst for positive change in their communities and in our world.
The Fellowship honors the legacy of the abolitionist and statesman who himself traveled abroad in 1845 and experienced first-hand efforts to overcome religious injustice, gender injustice and racial injustice. He returned to America in 1847 transformed and inspired to agitate for positive social change.
Benedict College is proud to be a participating college in the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program. Each year its Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers approximately 12 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. They are selected from a pool of nominees nominated by several hundred participating universities and colleges.
Gaither Junior Fellows provide research assistance to scholars working within Carnegie’s programs, listed below. They have the opportunity to conduct research, contribute to op-eds, papers, reports, and books, edit documents, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, activists, journalists and government officials.
The Benedict College HCASC Team comprises talented students from various disciplines, including cybersecurity, biology, computer science, business, and engineering. Their collective passion for trivia spans topics ranging from history and science to pop culture and literature, making them formidable opponents.
The HCASC competition features a series of challenging rounds that test participants on a wide range of subjects. In addition to the excitement of competing, this event provides an opportunity for team members to network with peers and trivia enthusiasts from other institutions.
(COLUMBIA, SC – April 21, 2026) The Benedict College Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) team returned to compete for the national championship during the 37th Annual HCASC National Championship Tournament Quiz Bowl Competition on Sunday, April 12 in Torrance, California.
As the only HBCU representing South Carolina, the team advanced to the prestigious Super 16 Round, qualifying for the Green Division alongside Spelman College. The BC team’s outstanding performance secured an $8,500 grant to support the Benedict College HCASC program—marking progress further in the competition than in previous years.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Janeen Witty says, “We are extremely proud of the 2025-2026 HCASC team and their accomplishments this year. Their back-to-back appearances at the National Championships demonstrate the academic excellence of our students and unwavering commitment of faculty at Benedict.”
Dr. Kimberly Singletary, HCASC team coach and director of the Honors Program, says, “Their achievement reflects not only their academic preparation and teamwork but also their commitment to excellence in representing Benedict College on a national platform. Congratulations to our HCASC team on this remarkable accomplishment!”
The team consists of Omario Guscott, a junior, Computer Science major; Robert Hamilton, a junior, Biology major; Kadine Beckford, a junior, Biology major; and Trissania Lawrence, a senior, Biology major.
Lawrence says, “What meant the most to me was being part of such a dedicated and hardworking team full of brilliant individuals. The support from our coaches, the bonds we made, the preparation – it all paid off in someway. Being surrounded by so much Black excellence- so many talented and driven students- was both inspiring and affirming. It truly felt like I found my place, like these are my people.”
shaneen.corujo@benedict.edu
