Benedict College to Receive $3.2 Million to
Launch BEST Lives Center
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Congressman James E. Clyburn announced that the House passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. This legislation includes more than $373 million to fund community projects in South Carolina and nearly $155 million of that is designated for projects in the Sixth Congressional District where the College is located.
$3.2 million has been earmarked to assist in the creation of the BEST Lives Center which will be a learning hub that focuses on military families. The state-of-the-art learning hub will provide direct services to a range of underserved students, with a focus on military families, former foster care youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, and adult learners.
The package also includes additional funding for key priorities like broadband, health care, transportation, housing, historic preservation, and the “10-20-30” initiative to target resources to communities in need. The legislation is expected to be approved by the Senate in the coming days.
This appropriations package reflects final bipartisan agreement of federal spending for the current fiscal year. For the first time in 12 years, the package includes projects requested by communities that Members of Congress have supported with direct federal resources.
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Senator Tim Scott hosts Inaugural HBCU Corporate Career Fair at Benedict College |
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Senator Tim Scott chose Benedict College to host his first HBCU Career Fair. The Charleston born Senator invited some of South Carolina’s top companies to the Midlands campus to include Boeing, Samsung, Teach for America, Nephron, Komatsu, Prisma, and Unum.
“When you bring potential and opportunity into the same room, great things can happen, said Senator Scott. I was honored to host my inaugural South Carolina HBCU Career fair at Benedict College last week to introduce S.C.’s best and brightest to some of the nation’s top employers.”
“It’s hiring season at Benedict College,” President Artis told News 19. “Many local and statewide employers were on campus looking for the best and brightest talent they can find for both summer internships and post-graduation.
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Benedict College enters into a Mutual Agreement
of Understanding with UCOR
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Pictured left to right- Dr. Harold Conner, Senior Advisor to the Office of the President; President Roslyn Clark Arts, Mrs. Sonya Johnson, Communications, Community, Diversity and Workforce; and Mr. Kenneth Rueter, President and CEO of UCOR. |
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Benedict College entered into a Mutual Agreement of Understanding with UCOR in 2021. The goal of the Agreement is to develop and initiate a career readiness initiative through which UCOR staff will provide guest lectures, host site tours, arrange for co-ops and internships. UCOR will also participate as advisory councilors, provide training for micro-credentials, and assist with curriculum development.
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Founder's Day Convocation |
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On March 17, 2022, Benedict College celebrated its 152nd Founder's Day Convocation. The keynote speaker was Attorney Ayanna Walthall Murphy, Benedict College Class of 2016. The College also welcomed the Class of 1972 into the Half Century Club.
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Benedict College presents Harambee Festival 33 |
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Click here for more information.
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The BEST of BC Student News |
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Congratulations to the BC Innovators for qualifying for the Semifinalist round in the AT&T HBCU Innovation Challenge! |
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Pictured left to right: Heyveon Clemons, Mya Schofield, Isaiah Antoine, and Demi Dale. |
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A great evening of access and opportunity was experienced by twelve of our Benedict College Pre-law Club students. The students were chaperoned by Pre-Law Club Advisors Benedict Faculty Instructor Walter Shawn McDaniels and the Honorable Circuit Court Judge Jocelyn Newman. During the law mock class held on March 17th, 2022 at the University of South Carolina School of Law, our students stood up and identified themselves, and acknowledged the school in which they attend. USC School of Law Professors in attendance later voiced how they took distinct notice of our student's willingness to show due regard whenever addressing a professor and the class. It was an honor to see how they clearly stood noticeably apart from many of the undergraduates who attended from across the state of South Carolina. They prepared for the class by attending a zoom session with Judge Jocelyn Newman on the evening before the event. The mock class at the USC School of Law was centered on developing a legal brief concerning the case known as People v. Marrero. Students in attendance were Kamari Anderson, Rashonda Rhodes, Kleopatra Jones, Erin Eaton, Diamond Washngton, India Washington, Jordan Simons, Tyetanna Brown, Jekyhia Harris, Ensonti Wigginson, Israel Cooper, and Jaquajia Young. |
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The 4th Annual Anti-Gun Violence Walk around Benedict College Gains Community Support |
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HBCU National Band Directors Consortium |
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The BEST of BC Faculty & Staff |
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Benedict College Selected as a Recipient of a
$300,000 Propel Impact Grant
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Pictured left to right: Professor Sanford Greene; President Roslyn Clark Artis; Dr. Verna Orr; Dr. Cortney Harris, Vice President of Impact and Engagement, Propel; Professor Gina Moore, and Dr. Charles J. Gibbs, President, Propel. |
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Benedict College was recently selected as a recipient of a $300K Propel Impact Grant. The Propel Center is committed to advancing equity in education by serving as a global leadership and innovation hub for HBCUs. Benedict plans to utilize the grant to build capacity for the diverse, vibrant, and inclusive community it serves.
“We are very appreciative of The Propel Center for the opportunity to share the Benedict story,” said President Artis. “We look forward to amplifying Propel’s Arts and Entertainment articulated goal of diversifying the entertainment industry by creating a pipeline for Black and other underrepresented students. We sincerely thank Propel for supporting our mission of developing superior cultural and professional competencies for our diverse student body.”
Benedict’s project centers around the creation of a groundbreaking Student Graphic Novel. The novel will construct a world with strong fictional characters that build a narrative to support the College’s mission. It will focus on the transformative learning experiences of HBCU students with career interests in music, video, and visual arts. The project will enhance and bring together the College’s academic areas of Music Industry, Mass Communication, and Studio Art. The innovative project will provide students with opportunities to create channels for diversity and to assist Black students desiring to enter career pathways in Music Marketing, Film & TV Production, and Fine Arts.
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Benedict College celebrated first-generation students at the First Gen 4 the Win program at Antisdel Chapel this month. The program recognized those Tigers whose parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree. Benedict College is committed to supporting first-generation students. The program was hosted and organized by Dr. Etosha Johnson, Director of the Benedict College Student Success Center.
The First Gen 4 the Win program was created to serve as a support system and mentorship for our brilliant and scholarly first-generation students at Benedict College. This platform will provide a safe space for all first-generation students to connect with one another, provide academic support, and share their amazing stories with one another. Dr. Johnson plans to continue this initiative and host events catering to the First Gen population. She said she is in the planning stages to host an induction ceremony during Welcome Week in the fall.
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Lady Tigers Capture SIAC Championship |
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The Benedict College Lady Tigers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat 12th-ranked Savannah State University and repeat as SIAC Champions on Saturday in the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center.
The win gives Benedict, now 23-7 on the season, an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament. The selection show will be Sunday night at 10 p.m. on www.ncaa.com.
The Lady Tigers trailed 61-51 with 7:45 to play in the game. Benedict went on a 14-2 run over the next five minutes to take the lead, with Ay'Anna Bey putting Benedict ahead on a jumper with 2:29 on the clock.
"We were only down 10. That was nothing," said Benedict head coach James Rice. "We stayed the course. These young ladies didn't fold."
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Savannah State, now 27-2 overall with both losses coming at the hands of Benedict, tied the game at 67 with 45 seconds remaining. Camryn Bostick, named to the SIAC All-Tournament team, scored with 19 seconds left to give Benedict a 69-67 lead. Savannah State missed a shot and Wykira Johnson-Kelly sank a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining for a four-point advantage. Savannah State scored at the buzzer for the final score.
Bostick led Benedict with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Keondra Archie, named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, added 14 points, 12 of those coming in the second half to help ignite Benedict's comeback.
"My teammates needed me, so I stepped up," Archie said.
Ay'Anna Bey also scored 14 points, with six coming in the key fourth-quarter run. Shanassia White was also in double figures with 10 points. Johnson-Kelly had eight points and eight assists to go along with a pair of steals and six rebounds.
Benedict had a four-point lead, 16-12, at the end of the first quarter. Savannah State rallied in the second quarter to take a 36-26 lead at the break. Savannah State still carried a 53-46 lead heading into the final quarter.
Benedict won the 2020 SIAC Championship, and was set to play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before the championship was canceled due to Covid. The SIAC did not play a conference schedule or conference tournament last year due to Covid, as well.
On Wednesday, March 16th the Benedict College Family celebrated our Lady Tigers the 2022 Women's Basketball Champions!
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Benedict College’s Bradon O’Connor on Pace to
Break NCAA Stolen Base Record
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Bradon O’Connor has a chance to set a national collegiate baseball stolen base record many thought would never be broken. The Benedict College outfielder has stolen 52 bases out of 56 tries in 21 games during the 2022 season.
O’Connor is on pace to swipe 126 bags this season. The Tigers are also on pace to steal more 300 bases which is customary for those “base stealing bandits” considering the team is saturated with freshman.
According to the NCAA Division II team statistics, Benedict as a team as swiped 160 bases while being thrown out 20 times in 24 games played this season.
O’Connor is not only a speedster, but he can also hit the ball all over the field.
Through games of March 22, 2022, O’Connor ranks sixth with a .493 batting average and is ranked No. 12 toughest to strike out, according to NCAA DII stats.
This explains why he reaches base nearly every at bat. In 69 at bats, O’Connor has struck out 3 times. That’s one strikeout for every 23.0 at bats.
O’Connor is a four-year starter for the Tigers and the best leadoff hitter in college baseball. He led the NCAA in stolen bases (47) and stolen bases per game in 2019 while sported a .404 batting average and knocking in 30 runs.
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Benedict's Green Named To HBCU All-Star Game |
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Benedict senior forward Tajh Green has been invited to participate in the first HBCU All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday.
Green, the SIAC Player of the Year, is one of 24 players from HBCUs across the country invited to participate. Green averaged 14.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while shooting .465 from the floor and .719 from the free-throw line. He helped lead the Tigers to a 22-7 record, advancing to the championship game of the SIAC Tournament.
Green will play for Team John McLendon, comprised of players from the SIAC and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
"The 24 players that have been selected represent the best in college basketball at our country's prestigious black colleges and universities. Our HBCU All-Stars national scouting staff did an amazing job for the past three months evaluating some of the most talented players from the 48 HBCUs. We know there were many players deserving of the opportunity to play in this game," said HBCU All-Stars LLC Founder and CEO Travis L. Williams. "This is history in the making and has been a long journey to get to this point, but we are just getting started and expect to put on a great event with our amazing CBS Sports partners and HBCU All-Stars staff in New Orleans."
Team John McLendon will compete against Team Clarence "Bighouse" Gaines, which is made up of players from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
Team John McLendon will be led by Robert Jones, head coach at Norfolk State, and assisted by Fred Watson, the head coach at Miles College.
Landon Bussie, the head coach at Alcorn State, will lead Team Clarence "Big House" Gaines, and will be assisted on the bench by Lincoln University's Corey Lowery.
The game will air live on Sunday, April 3 at 4 p.m. on CBS from the University of New Orleans' Lakefront Arena.
For more information on the HBCU All-Star Game, visit their official website here.
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Lady Tigers Go Undefeated At Tennis Roundup |
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The Benedict College women's tennis team went 8-0 at the SIAC tennis roundup over the weekend.
The Lady Tigers cruised to wins over Savannah State, LeMoyne-Owen, Clark Atlanta and Fort Valley State to set up a rematch against Albany State. Albany State beat the Lady Tigers 4-2 in the first roundup in February.
Benedict defeated Albany State 4-3, rallying back from a 1-0 deficit after the Lady Golden Rams took the doubles point.
Benedict then wrapped up the roundup with a 4-3 victory over Spring Hill. Benedict won the doubles point, then got singles victories from Alston and Gomez. The match-winning point came from Wamba at No. 2 singles, where she prevailed in a marathon match, 7-6 (10-4), 3-6, (10-7).
Benedict will wrap up the regular season on April 7 with a 2 p.m. match against Virginia Union at the Columbia Tennis Center. The Lady Tigers will honor four seniors – Izakova, Alston, Gabriella Zelaya, and Olivia Simms.
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Tigers Go 6-1 At SIAC Tennis Roundup
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The Benedict College men's tennis team went 6-1 at the SIAC tennis roundup over the weekend.
The Tigers did not drop a match in picking up wins over LeMoyne-Owen, Fort Valley State, Tuskegee and Morehouse, then faced Spring Hill on Saturday.
Spring Hill took a 4-2 victory, avenging a Benedict 4-2 victory in the first roundup tournament in February. Spring Hill took the doubles point by winning the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches. Mark Chigaazira picked up a 6-2, 7-5 victory at No. 1 singles, and Divgurjot Singh battled to take a 3-6 6-4 (12-10) victory at No. 4 singles.
The Tigers will take on Johnson C. Smith on April 7 at 2 p.m. at the Columbia Tennis Center for their final home match of the season. The Tigers will honor senior Batsiraii Saurombe.
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Tigers Perform Well At Weems Baskin Meet |
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The Benedict men's outdoor track & field team competed at the USC Weems Baskin meet over the weekend, and had several outstanding performances.
Malcom Carter Jr. ran a season-best time of 54.85 in the 400-meter hurdles to finish eighth. He also ran 50.31 in the 400-meter dash. He finished ninth overall. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the SIAC in the 400-meter hurdles, and ninth in the 400-meter dash.
Kevin Francis finished 13th overall in the 110-meter high hurdles with a personal best time of 15.12. He also finished 11th in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 55.69.
The sprinters were led by Lirante Jackson, who finished 23rd overall in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.96 He also ran a 10.83 in the 100-meter dash to finish second. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the SIAC in the 200-meter dash.
Jesaiah Jones ran a season best time of 49.88 in the 400-meter dash to finish third. He also ran a season best time of 22.39 in the 200-meter dash. He is currently ranked third in the SIAC in the 400-meter dash and sixth in the 200-meter dash.
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The Benedict College softball team completed a three-game sweep over Allen University with a 28-1 victory on Sunday at Tiger Field.
The Lady Tigers scored a season-high 28 runs on just nine hits, while taking advantage of 17 walks, 13 wild pitches and nine Allen errors.
Chesney Miller went 2-for-3 with four runs scored and four RBIs, starting the game off with a two-run double in the first inning. She had an RBI single in the third inning. Deneisha Wooten went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, driving in two runs on a second-inning triple. Nia Holmes drove in three runs on a bases-loaded double in the fourth inning, when the Lady Tigers scored 11 runs and sent 15 batters to the plate.
Benedict improves to 18-14. Allen falls to 0-12.
The Lady Tigers are back in action on Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader against Columbia College, starting at 1 p.m.
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Benedict's Glover, Jordan, Jackson
Earn SIAC Track Weekly Honors
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The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has announced its track and field weekly honors, released by the league office on Tuesday.
Lirante Jackson of Benedict and Kassie Jordan of Benedict were named this week's men and women Track Performers of the Week. Isaiah McCray of Albany State and Savionna Glover of Benedict collected this week's men and women Field Performers of the Week honors.
Women's Track and Field
At this week's past meet, Jordan set a personal best in both the 200- and 400-meter races, with times of 24.95 and 58.45. She finished 8th overall at the meet.
Glover's mark of 12.2 meters (39 feet, 9 inches) in the triple jump beat out the competition and was a NCAA provisional qualifying mark. She also hit the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the long jump, with a mark of 5.82 meters (19 feet, 1 inch). Glover is ranked No. 1 in the SIAC in both events.
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The Purple and Gold Spring Football Game is schedule for
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 1 pm
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Class of 1972 Inducted into the Half Century Club |
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Life & Work with Tenikka Hughes |
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Today we’d like to introduce you to Tenikka Hughes.
Hi, Tenikka. Thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m an award-winning veteran journalist, having spent nearly 20 years working in television news. I currently anchor the 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts on CBS47 & FOX30 Action News Jax. Prior to coming to the River City, I worked in Charlotte, Memphis and Macon.
I knew I wanted to become a journalist from an early age. My mom says that when I was around 6 years old, I would use a hairbrush as my microphone, create an audience of stuffed animals and read issues of JET magazine to them like I was presenting a newscast. I’ve certainly come a long way since then! I’m fortunate to have my childhood dream become a reality.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story — has it been an easy path overall, and if not what are some challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a journalist is a very demanding and competitive career. After graduate school, I sent VHS tapes with samples of my work to dozens of news stations across the country to land my first on-air job. Once you get a shot, new challenges emerge. For many journalists just starting out, the pay is low and there’s a steep learning curve.
So, I spent much of my young adulthood navigating that while trying to ascend in my career. In addition, the life of a journalist revolves around constant deadlines and shifting expectations depending on what’s happening in the world. I also bear a lot of responsibility, from ensuring the content I produce and present is accurate and fair, to being mindful of the impact of my public platform. It’s a career that has come with its own set of professional and personal sacrifices.
Whether it’s working around the clock to keep the public informed during severe weather, gathering news in dangerous or hostile environments, navigating stressful newsroom environments, missing important life events due to not having the time off, facing public scrutiny for your coverage or physical appearance, or dealing with the mental toll of covering a tragic story, the list of challenges for any journalist can be varied and long.
I will say that over my nearly two-decade career, I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I’ve been embraced by the communities I’ve served and met some incredible colleagues who have become like family. I’ve also had the privilege of telling thousands of stories of people who’ve left me inspired, hopeful, awestruck and with renewed faith in the good that exists in this world.
So let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about you and your work?
I’ve gained a reputation for being an advocate and compassionate person with a high level of emotional intelligence. I’ve naturally taken on several roles over the course of my career, including that of mentor, friend and even “honorary Auntie.” As I’ve said, I know that the lives and careers of the people in my industry can sometimes present challenges and uncertainty. So it does my heart good to be a source of light and support.
Professionally, I’ve been honored with several industry and community accolades over the years, including two Emmy Awards, being named Folio Weekly’s Best TV Anchor, and receiving the Florida Literacy Coalition’s 2021 Mary J. Brogan Award for my efforts to support youth literacy. Being read to as a child and having access to books at home had a profound effect on me. It established my love of reading and writing, which essentially set me on course to become a journalist. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to use my platform to share the importance of youth literacy and education, as well as give the gift of reading.
I’m very proud of my annual book drive, Tenikka’s Books for Kids, also known as #TB4K. The campaign collects new book donations that are given to children who meet their reading goals while participating in Jacksonville Public Library’s Summer Reading Program. Thanks to incredible support from the community, we’ve put more than 13,000 free books in the hands of local children since #TB4K started in 2018. This year’s drive runs for two weeks in March and I’m hopeful we will get a record number of book donations for our children!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
I approach potential risks by having faith. I bet on myself, my worth, my talents and my instincts. I believe in my ability to thrive and elevate the spaces I occupy. I come from a family of sharecroppers. I was raised in a small town in eastern North Carolina where most families still live below the poverty line.
The notions of going off to college, pursuing a career in television news, and moving state-to-state every few years for work were all perceived as risks to some of the people I’ve encountered. I chose to focus on my goals and persist. Thankfully, I’ve found success along the way. I’ve been blessed to have an incredibly supportive family, husband, circle of friends and therapist. They cheer me on, lift me up, hold me accountable, respect my choices and accept me just as I am.
Have I experienced losses, challenges, naysayers and struggles along the way? Absolutely. Have I doubted myself or questioned my decisions at times? Sure. Am I still figuring some things out? Yes. Ultimately, I reflect on my purpose, motivation and intentions. Where do I want to focus my energy? How do I want to show up in this world? What brings me peace? What makes my heart smile? I check in with myself. I give myself grace. I affirm myself. I give myself permission to chart my own course and the freedom to change the destination along the way.
Contact Info:
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BENEDICT COLLEGE
1600 HARDEN STREET, COLUMBIA, SC 29204
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