Voorhees College senior Calvin Coach III has been named a 2020 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Competitiveness Scholar by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The HBCU Competitiveness Scholars is the initiative’s highest student recognition program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Coach will not go to Washington, D.C. for the National HBCU Week Conference. However, he will participate in an online recognition and virtual campaign during the 2020 Virtual HBCU Week Conference.
“I am so honored to receive this recognition and it signifies I am headed in the right direction toward my future in leadership. I want to work in the sports industry, and this opportunity will allow me to network with student-athletes and career professionals,” Coach said.
Coach is a senior majoring in sports management from Aiken, S.C. He is a member of the W. Franklin Evans Honors College, where he serves as president, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said it is her privilege to congratulate the Class of 2020 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars. “These exemplary students have excelled inside the classroom and out, and have successfully met the unprecedented challenges to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their determination, resilience, and commitment to excellence will serve them well as they continue their academic careers and prepare for future continued success,” DeVos said.
During the virtual conference, Coach will participate in workshops designed to strengthen leadership, as all scholars are encouraged to continually build their personal and professional development in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Following the conference, he, along with 43 students from 32 other HBCUs, will prepare to compete for top opportunities that will benefit long-term career and life outcomes.
Competitiveness Scholars are recognized for the 2020-2021 academic school year. Scholars were chosen based on their academic achievements, campus and civic involvement, and entrepreneurial goals. The 2020-2021 cohort is comprised of highly distinguished HBCU undergraduate, graduate, professional, and international students from various academic backgrounds.
President W. Franklin Evans said every year Voorhees has the opportunity to name some of the most dedicated, intelligent, and passionate young scholars as a HBCU Competiveness Scholar. “We prepare and equip our students to assume leadership roles such as this. Due to Coach’s academic excellence and commitment, he will represent Voorhees well in his efforts to supersede expectations,” Evans said.
For more information, contact the Office of Communications, at 803-780-1191 or at [email protected].
Courtesy of Voorhees College Office of Communications
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