White House Initiative Names Bowie State Student as an HBCU Competitiveness Scholar

Akili Smith Honored for Academic Excellence, Community Service & Entrepreneurial Spirit

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – A Bowie State University business administration student and aspiring corporate marketer was selected by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar, the initiative’s highest student recognition.

Akili Smith, a junior business administration major, is one of 63 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from 54 HBCUs, recognized for demonstrating a unique combination of academic achievements, campus leadership, civic engagement and entrepreneurial spirit. Each nominee was also endorsed by their institution’s president.

“The HBCU Competitiveness Scholars program was the perfect opportunity for me,” said Smith. “This was something I was looking for because it is going to prepare me to be a better leader.”

Over the course of the year, the HBCU Competitiveness Scholars will learn and share proven and promising practices that support individual and HBCU competitiveness, with the goal of strengthening prospects for career and life success. The initiative will provide the scholars with outreach and engagement activities to showcase their individual and collective talents across the HBCU spectrum.

“I am really excited about being around like-minded people – we’re all scholars and people who are working toward their goals,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know the other scholars and learning from them.”

The HBCU Competitiveness Scholars will attend the 2018 National HBCU Week Conference from September 16-18 in Washington, DC, participating in workshops to enhance their leadership and professional skills and discover areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. The scholars will be recognized during the conference on Monday, September 17 at the initiative’s Excellence in Innovation and Competitiveness Awards.

Smith has taken advantage of leadership opportunities at Bowie State and in the community. An Honors Program student, he is the executive treasurer of the Student Government Association and was an intern in the business accelerator, the Bowie Business Innovation Center, located on the BSU campus. He also participated in the Idea Competition, sponsored by the BSU Entrepreneurship Academy, pitching his idea for a mobile app for BSU students. His community service includes volunteering his summers with the CollegeBound program, an academic enrichment to prepare students for college success. He returned to the program as a volunteer after being a participant since he was in the 4^th grade.

After graduating from Bowie State, Smith hopes to combine his love for animals with a passion for marketing in his dream job in corporate brand strategy for a national pet supplies firm.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, criminal justice, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit www.bowiestate.edu.