Morris College Senior wins First Place at ATI “First Pitch” Competition
Morris College students demonstrated their advanced proficiency in problem solving at the 2025 Pitch Competition sponsored by Advanced Technology International (ATI). Morris senior Kaniyah Williams led an intercollegiate team of students, including Navaud Guscott from Benedict College and Kamala Chemma from Claflin College in solving challenges related to South Carolina public transportation. Morris College professor Priscilla Patten served as the team’s academic mentor.
Morris College student Sheldon Wilson participated on the team that won second place by presenting solutions to challenges related to healthcare and cybersecurity.
ATI partnered with the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs to help boost Black participation in computer and mathematics fields. While Black South Carolinians make up more than 27% of the state’s population, they hold less than 9% of jobs in those fields. As part of an eight-month mentorship programs, students formed cross-college, cross-discipline teams to tackle some of the state’s most pressing problems and present solutions to a panel of judges, “Shark Tank” style.