Chase Drewery, a junior honors advertising major from Waldorf, Maryland, is an outstanding student and athlete. He has networked, studied the Zulu language, and stars on the Howard University Track and Field team. He attributes much of his success to the standard of excellence he has learned as a scholar in the Annenberg Honors Program in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. 

The Annenberg Honors Program offers a comprehensive learning experience, providing a framework that fosters intellectual development and scholastic excellence. Students participate in honors courses, seminars featuring communications professionals, and a wide variety of community service projects and internships that enhance their learning experience.  

After their freshmen year, professors recommend students for the program. Approximately 50 students are admitted into the program each year. Along with the required honors classes, students must complete 20 hours of community service each semester, write a master’s level thesis under Howard professor supervision, and complete 12 credit hours of a foreign language. 

The program has a remarkable history since its inception, thanks to an Annenberg endowment, enabling the admission of academically strong students to participate in various rigorous and satisfying activities. Foremost among these activities is academically challenging research culminating in completing a thesis on a communication subject. 

“The Annenberg Honors program pushes you to raise your standards and serve your community. It has also put me in unique positions to get internship opportunities like working with Netflix on a mini-series. It's a community of people pushing you beyond the imaginable and there to hold you accountable,” says Drewery. 

Drewery was a Fulbright-Hays Fellow sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania through the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on studying the Zulu language spoken in South Africa. He has exceled academically, earning Dean’s List recognition every semester since his freshman year. Notably, he has also received the Chadwick A. Boseman Entertainer of the Year Award for Individual Excellence presented by the Howard University Undergraduate Student Assembly at the 2023 Annual Bison Ball. 

Outside of the classroom, Drewery has made a name for himself on the track. He was named the MEAC Triple Jump Champion - Indoor (2022) and Outdoor (2023), and he is the current Howard University record holder in the category. During the 2021-2022 academic year, Drewery was named Rookie of the Year representing Howard University Men's Track and Field and earned All-Academic NCAA and MEAC Honors Awards in 2023.  

“Chase is one of our most exceptional students. His commitment to his thesis, maintaining excellent grades, excelling in track and field, and serving his community is outstanding. These are the types of students we want to be a part of the Annenberg Honors program here at Howard University,” says Chukwuka Onwumechili, director of the Annenberg Honors Program. 

“I like to excel at the highest level in anything I do,” said Drewery. “My Annenberg Honors Program professors have instilled in me a great level of knowledge and a hunger for excellence.” 

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