B-CC SENIOR NAMED MISS NATIONAL UNCF

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman College senior Rachel Marie Davis won the crown of Miss National United Negro College Fund, 2004 this weekend in Memphis, Tenn. at the UNCF Annual Conference.

Miss National United Negro College Fund Rachel Marie Davis of Bethune-Cookman College was crowned at the UNCF conference in Memphis, Tenn.Also pictured are B-CC Vice President for College Advancement Sumner Hutcheson III and B-CC's UNCF Pre-Alumni Chapter Advisor Cathy Washington.

A senior Business Administration major from Sacramento, Calif., Davis’ crowning culminated the work of the B-CC Pre Alumni Council, which raised over $65,000 during the past year. B-CC’s total was the best per capital among the 39 UNCF schools.

The B-CC group passed around fundraising canisters at home football games, sold College souvenirs and paraphernalia and even had penny drives and ice cream socials in the dormitories as part of their fundraising endeavors. 

“It’s really a great honor,’’ Davis said. “Not just for me, but for Bethune-Cookman College. We’ve been pursuing the title for so long. It’s great exposure for the College and a great tribute for [B-CC President Dr. Oswald P. Bronson Sr.] in his final year.”

Ms. Davis is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority as well as Students in Free Enterprise at B-CC. Upon graduation, she plans to attend law school at Temple, Howard or Georgia State.

Chapter Liaison Cathy Washington, who herself received six awards, including a recognition for her 25 years of service to UNCF, said the crowning of Davis emphasized B-CC’s commitment to the National Pre Alumni Council. B-CC has won the Walter Washington award created to recognize the council that raises the highest amount of money.

“We represented B-CC well,’’ Washington said. “This is the first we’ve had the award since I was a senior in college [Carol Ann Osgood won as Miss National UNCF in 1971] It promotes the love of the college to the cause of higher education. It’s a wonderful way to kick off our centennial celebration."

The Pre-Alumni Council was created to stimulate the interest and participation of the students enrolled at UNCF member institutions in the progress of UNCF, to preserve and to further loyalty and fellowship between the colleges and universities, their faculty, staff, students and alumni.

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Bethune-Cookman is a comprehensive college, which offers degrees in liberal arts as well as professional fields, such as business, education and nursing. A United Methodist Church-affiliated school, the College has a diverse and international student population of more than 2,700 and a solid reputation for academic excellence and community service. As evidence of its outstanding program, the College has been listed in the Templeton Honor Roll of Character Building Colleges and Universities, and it was ranked by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the “Top 50” schools in the nation for black students.  B-CC is one of 10 charter member colleges of Project Pericles, a program to create civic leadership and involvement on its member campuses.  The College will celebrate its 100^th year of founding on October 4, 2004.

For more information, contact our website www.bethune.cookman.edu. 

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