Scholarships & Awards

The following scholarships and awards are given annually to majors in the department of English. Applicants are judged on academic performance and outstanding writing achievement. Each award includes a cash prize. The awards are given at a reception hosted by the Department of English for graduating majors and their families.

The Valerie Kay Hardy Essay Award
This annual award, named in memory of a 2001 English alumna, is presented to the English major who has written the best paper in an English course during the most recent academic year. According to her professors, Hardy exemplified the intellectual and moral force that students and faculty alike try to bring to their work. Her essays were serious and honest attempts to convey truth. The competition recognizes outstanding achievement in scholarly writing by an English major, and the award, which comes with a cash prize, is made at the Department of English's end-of-year reception. Guidelines are available for both students and professors interested in nominating student essays.

The Charles T. Norman Award
This award (an engraved plaque) is presented to the outstanding senior Richmond College English major, as determined by the English faculty as a whole.

The Margaret L. Ross Award
This award (an engraved plaque) is presented to the outstanding senior Westhampton College English major, as determined by the English faculty as a whole.

The Thomas West Gregory Award
This award is named for a faculty member who, for many years, advised students seeking certification to teach English and is presented to the outstanding senior English major who has prepared for a career in teaching. The winner is chosen by the English faculty as a whole, along with the advisor to students who seek teaching certification.

The Margaret Haley Carpenter Award for Poetry
This award is presented to a student who has submitted outstanding poetry for publication in The Messenger. The winner is chosen by a panel of two English faculty members and one student.

The Margaret Owen Finck Award for Fiction
This award is presented to a student who has submitted a work of fiction to The Messenger. The winner is chosen by a panel of two English faculty members and one student.