Thank You

Maroon Level Donors

Thank you, Wildcats, for helping to celebrate our Centennial B-CU Football season. We are proud to announce the relaunch of the Wildcat Boosters Club with a gift of over $205,000 to support athletics. Thank you to the leadership of Larry Handfield and Gloria Carr and the Maroon level donors for helping us to double our goal. Check the B-CU Athletics page for more information and to join the Champions Club.

New possibilities are in store for Bethune-Cookman University students pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees. A recent agreement with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) finalized a collaboration that would facilitate admission for Wildcats who are interested in continuing their education with master’s degrees or doctorates at FAU’s College of Arts and Letters.

Richard Peacock, a Bethune-Cookman University professor, who is a graduate of FAU, commented, "Undergraduate students will find this agreement affords them many excellent opportunities to advance their careers and the chance to become graduate students at a highly active, public research university in vibrant South Florida.”

In exciting news, the Florida Alliances for Graduate Education Program (FL-AGEP) has extended its funding for another year! Directed by Dr. Helena Mariella-Walrond, the program’s goal is to develop and sustain a model that advances STEM faculty careers for underrepresented minority women. Bethune-Cookman University first began participating in 2019, and the end of the program was extended to Aug. 31, 2024. In total, FL-AGEP has provided more than $500,000 in funding for STEM opportunities across the state.

The Program Went On As Planned

When Orlando native and Bethune-Cookman University alumna, Nicole Phillips Hollis, founded Bridge To Independence Inc., she dreamed of creating an accredited, nonprofit educational organization that would provide a diverse student body with the best possible education. Recently, the program welcomed a $1.6 million dollar commercial loan from Wells Fargo via the Black Business Investment Fund to purchase a new, much larger building.

The loan will make it possible for 150 additional students to benefit from the program’s offerings, said Hollis, “This will be transformative for the lives of children in our community.”

In September, the Master of Counseling program participated in the American Suicide Foundation’s Out of Darkness Walk to raise awareness for suicide prevention. Led by Dr. Angelle Richardson and Dr. Sheila Davis, a group of students from Bethune-Cookman University joined in on the walk at the Kenneth Parker Amphitheater in Port Orange.

Recently, students from the Bethune-Cookman University’s Nursing program shared their talents at a weekly food drive hosted by Powerhouse Ministry. As part of the department’s commitment to supporting health and wellness in local neighborhoods, they provided free physical check-ups, checked blood glucose levels and took vitals for 36 participants.

Religion Department Explores Gifts and Graces in Summer Youth Program

For the eighth year, Bethune-Cookman University’s Department of Religion hosted the Exploring Gifts and Graces (EGG) Summer Adventure and Theology and Leadership program, which invites high school juniors and seniors across the states of Georgia, Louisiana and Florida to a faith-based retreat. During the program, students were encouraged to express themselves and support their community using their individual gifts. 

Five Scholarships Awarded to Bethune-Cookman University Religion Students

In late September, five Bethune-Cookman University Religion students were awarded $1,000 scholarships in honor of the late Dr. Randolph Bracy, Jr. The recipients — Martha Chigozie, Vanetta Jamison, Yvette Knighton, Charles Rogers and Chris Sands — included four current graduate students and one current undergraduate student, all of whom are following a call to ministry.

Over the last month, our campus has welcomed visitors from Walt Disney World, UCF/FIEA, and EA SPORTS to share information about available opportunities. Students were able to chat with recruiters, attend info sessions about careers in hospitality and computer engineering, and participate in panel discussions with leadership from these Florida-based enterprises.