Sophomore and finance major Kayleigh Dunn placed as one of the top-three winners who competed in the Black College Quiz, a national competition held recently in Atlanta, Georgia.
College students from historically Black colleges and universities compete on “Black College Quiz,” a television program produced by Georgia Public Broadcasting and hosted by comedian Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles. They were quizzed on topics regarding African American history, with the grand prize being a scholarship.
According to Dunn, after being selected by the W.E.B. DuBois Global Leadership Initiative Director Ramakrishnan Alagan, Ph.D., she was excited to represent the school.
“Leading up to it, it (preparations) actually began our last week of school,” Dunn said. “That’s when we got our study material, and you get pages and pages and pages of study material. So, my advisor, who was my coach, studied with me and helped me learn all of it. It took the whole winter break, and I was up until 3 a.m. some nights studying it.”
Dunn missed the first week of school, during which she flew to Atlanta to participate in the competition. Dunn competed the first two days, and since she made it to the championship round, she stayed until that Thursday.
While Dunn will most likely not be selected to go back anytime soon due to having new plans for the winter, she just hopes she will be able to help the next person after her that will be selected.
“Me and my coach are excited,” Dunn said. “She’s probably going to coach it, and I am probably going to be able to help and give tips to the next person.”
Dunn’s coach was Alecia D. Hoffman, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, who also attended the event.
“She had quite a bit of material to learn before the competition, and this was done within a short period,” Hoffman said. “The highlight of the event for me was assisting Kayleigh in performing her best at the event.
Hoffman serves as an advisor and board member to the W.E.B. DuBois Global Leadership Initiative.
“The invitation was sent to the W.E.B. DuBois Global Leadership Initiative Director, Dr. Ramakrishnan Alagan, and the decision was to send a W.E.B. DuBois scholar,” Hoffman said. “Kayleigh was the only student who attended from Alabama State University. The other HBCUs that participated also only had one student contestant and one coach, as these were the stipulations provided by the producers of the ‘Black College Quiz.’”
Overall, approximately 25 HBCUs participated in the event, and since Dunn made it to the semi-final and final rounds of the competition, Hoffman is more than proud.
“Previously, Ms. Endia Harris, a graduate of Alabama State University, who was also a W.E.B. DuBois scholar and a political science major attended the ‘Black College Quiz’ competition. Ms. Harris attended the ‘Black College Quiz’ at Georgia Public Broadcasting Station approximately around 2019 or 2020. This was right before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Hoffman continued.
“The fact that Kayleigh had an opportunity to represent the Alabama State University (ASU) and have an extraordinary outcome, bodes well for Alabama State. The fact that she competed against her peers from other HBCUs from around the country and did well is a testament to what our ASU has to offer. Our students are talented, knowledgeable, personable, affable, respectable and just all-around great students. We prepare leaders and scholars, and Kayleigh demonstrated this during her competition at the ‘Black College Quiz.’”