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Belmont Abbey College

The Catholic College of the South

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Motorsports Program Makes Strides and Speeds Towards Success

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Alex Mullin

The brightest minds have come from across the country and the world to study an ever-expanding world of fast cars and big money, Motorsports, both national and international. The Belmont Abbey Motorsports Program has seen a lot of change over these past couple years. The program has opened new avenues and career opportunities for both upperclassmen and underclassmen who are looking to forge a career path in Motorsports.

To start off, there are a lot of different ways one may involve themselves in Motorsports. In the first semester of freshman year, the first course in the program is Intro to Motorsports at Sacred Heart Campus in Mercedes Hall to get a good introduction to the many classes that are taught within the program. From there, there are options to choose from in pursuing a Motorsports Management Major, which includes classes like History of Motorsports, Sports Broadcasting, and many more. Some of the esteemed faculty involved in the program include, but are not limited to: Professor Quinn Beekwilder, Professor Trey Cunningham, and Professor Matt Yocum just to name a few.

The program has recently produced some great talent in graduating classes in this past decade that have gone on to work for or own a professional NASCAR team, and the current group of upperclassmen look to continue that trend. Recently, the Motorsports Program made trips to Ford Performance Racing School, and both zMAX Dragway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway, giving students an opportunity to be more hands-on in learning about how the world of motorsports brings people together out of a pure desire to go fast and have fun.

Other than the main classes in Motorsports available at the Abbey, you can also join the Motorsports Club. There are many events they are currently organizing as the Motorsports scene slows down in off-seasons for organizations such as NASCAR and IndyCar, and the more people that are involved, the better. It is a great learning experience for learning about the world of Motorsports from local short track racing to international escapades of speed and sound. The club typically meets Thursdays at 6:30 P.M. in Student Commons unless noted otherwise.

This article was originally posted in the Fall 2022, Issue 2 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue.

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Grant in Support of STEM Students

BELMONT, N.C. – (November 30, 2022) Belmont Abbey College is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from NCICU to support its STEM students.

The NCICU (North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities) announced a new grant for Faculty-Student STEM Mentoring. This funding will be used to enhance programs already underway for STEM majors and to expand Belmont Abbey’s current mentoring programs. One of the grant’s goals is to also improve participation in first-generation college students, minorities, and Pell grant-eligible students in the STEM field.

The proposal for this grant consisted of issuing funds to support the STEM Learning Lab currently on campus. The STEM Learning Lab focuses on helping Belmont Abbey students in the areas of Math and Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Ecology and the Physical sciences. The STEM Learning Lab will serve as a hub for faculty student interactions, peer tutoring, and peer mentoring. Upper level students are offered positions to tutor in the first year courses (College Algebra, Calculus, Math for Liberal Arts,) hold test review sessions, and meet with their first or second year mentees.

Faculty Director, Dr. White, mentions that, “The Faculty-Peer mentorship program pairs interested students in STEM related fields with a faculty and a peer mentor. Peer mentors provide camaraderie, advising from a student’s perspective, and tutoring if desired. Mentees can meet with their mentors in the STEM Learning Lab or elsewhere on campus as the pair chooses.” Mentees and mentors will attend 2-3 professional development events with Dr. White, over the course of the academic year.

In addition to the Faculty-Peer mentorship program, representatives from local industries will also be invited to discuss entry-level positions and internships with the students. Speakers from local banks, insurance firms, and the manufacturing industry will be invited to discuss STEM related job opportunities. By promoting post graduate opportunities, the mathematics department hopes to attract more students interested in STEM fields.

Download the press release.

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