Creative Writing Scholarship Contest

creative writing Scholarship contest

The Department of English and World Languages at Arkansas Tech University encourages high school seniors to enter Tech's annual Creative Writing Scholarship Contest. Previous winners are listed below.

Eligibility:  Any high school senior is eligible.

The Award:  Six awards worth as much as $1,500 will be given. These awards may be used to pursue any degree program at Arkansas Tech University, including Tech's B.F.A. in Creative Writing.

Submission Process:  To enter, send a poem, a group of poems, a short story, or a piece of dramatic writing to the address below. You may send your submission electronically by attaching it to an email addressed to engl@atu.edu. Please be sure to include your name, high school, mailing address, and phone number. 

Deadline: Entries for the 2023 contest must be received by December 15, 2023.

Application Address:
Creative Writing Contest
Department of English
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR 72801

Electronic Submission Address;
engl@atu.edu

Download: Click here to download or view the 2023 Creative Writing Contest poster.

2022 Winners
First Place: Rachel Luker, Siloam Springs High School
Second Place:  Jaydah Easter, Premier High School of Springdale
Third Place: Allie Clark, Van Buren High School
Fourth Place: Alyssa Hackney. Har-ber High School
Fifth Place: Logan Smith, Valley Springs High School
Sixth Place: Conner Hays, Atkins High School

2021 Winners

First Place: Carl Cooper, Cabot High School
Second Place: Lyla Flint, Greenwood High School
Third Place: Elisabeth O'Connell, Searcy High School
Fourth Place: Kate Madewell, Bentonville High School
Fifth Place: Abby Ledford, Pottsville High School
Sixth Place: Sah' Myah Holloway, St. Joseph Catholic High School

2020 winners

First Place: Nicole Hughes, Dardanelle High School
Second Place: Austin Lillard, Pottsville High School
Third Place: Connor Cooper, Bald Knob High School
Fourth Place: Anna Moore, Dovder High School
Fifth Place: Maggie Duvall, Russellville High School
Sixth Place: Dasia Williams, Ozark High School

2019 Winners

First Place: Gabrielle Thurman, Pottsville, AR
Second Place: Gloria Mendez, Van Buren, Arkansas
Third Place: Scottie Lawrence, Brandon, Mississippi
Fourth Placer: Josh Clorley, Rison, Arkansas
Fifth Place: Maria Heinem, Russellville, Arkansas
Sixth Place: Elizabeth Barrtett, Amity, Arkansas

2018 Winners

First Place: Amber Austen, Wynne, AR
Second Place: Tamsen Clayborn, Timbo, AR
Third Place: Erinn Craig, Highlandville, MO
Fourth Place: Mr. Grant Brown, Greenbrier, AR
Fifth Place: Sydney Shain, Bryant, AR
Sixth Place: Angelina Hudson, Green Forest, AR

2017 Winners

First Place: Brooke Owens, Russellville, AR
Second Place: Anna Miller, Paragould, AR
Third Place: Brooklyn McGuire, Paris, AR
Fourth Place: Tory Potter, Lonoke, AR
Fifth Place: Brittney Oliver, Mayflower, AR
Sixth Place: Annabell Klos, Flippin, AR

Previous Creative Writing Contest Winners

2016 Winners

First Place: Madison Laurie, Danville, AR
Second Place: Daniel Parnell, Texarkana, AR
Third Place: Lily Musengwa, Bentonville, AR
Fourth Place: Payton Marshall, Belleville, AR
Fifth Place: Paige McMillan, Fayetteville, AR
Sixth Place: April Collins, Pleasant Plains, AR

2015 Winners

First Place: Jerry Kinder, Russellville, AR
Second Place: Alex Summerlin, Bryant, AR
Third Place: Cupashia Covey, Lamar, AR
Fourth Place: Anna Farrier, Austin, AR
Fifth Place: Justin Gunderman, Plumerville, AR
Sixth Place: Emily Roberts, Dover, AR

2014 Winners

First Place: Rebecca Nieboer, Charleston, AR
Second Place: Victor Wilkerson, Pea Ridge, AR
Third Place: Bryan Mock, Hot Springs, Ar
Fourth Place: Taylor Eubanks, Dardanelle, AR
Fifth Place: Megan Lawson, Hindsville, AR
Sixth Place: Madison Grover, Lamar, AR

2013 Winners

First Place: Dakota Smith, St. Joe, AR
Second Place: Kylie Deaton, Austin, AR
Third Place: Anthony Adams, Bradford, AR
Fourth Place: Matthew Post, Mayflower, AR
Fifth Place: Hannah Vines, Nashville, AR
Sixth Place: Cassidy New, Aztec, NM

2012 Winners

First Place: Hollie Hopson, Dover
Second Place: Ashley Rains, Leslie
Third Place: Ethan Kinder, Russellville
Fourth Place: Samantha Lewis, Van Buren
Fifth Place: Jonathan Ross, DeQueen
Sixth Place: Amber Tyler, Atkins

2011 Winners

First Place: Brittany Pickens, Harrison
Second Place: Claire Magnus, Little Rock
Third Place: Joseph Jordan, Springdale
Fourth Place: Abigail Duvall, Russellville
Fifth Place: Shane Crabtree, Clinton
Sixth Place: Toni Jones, Mineral Springs

 2010 Winners

First Place: Alissa Hertz, Russellville
Second Place: Martha Granderson, Monticello
Third Place: Katie Burns, Bald Knob
Fourth Place: Brittany Eakin, Dover
Fifth Place: Jennifer Cooley, MIneral Springs Sixth Place: Jessika Hintson, Pleasant Grove

2009 Winners

First Place: Emily Slape, Harrison
Second Place: Rebekah Conner, Harrison
Third Place: Jessica Robison, Dover
Fourth Place: Robert Ruiz, Stillwater, OK
Fifth Place: Tiffany Byers, Dover
Sixth Place: Jeffrey Warndorf, Russellville 2008 Winners

2008 Winners:

First Place: Charlie Hittle, Russellville
Second Place: Whitney Burrow, Malvern
Third Place: Clayton Lusk, Russellville
Fourth Place: Megan Lindsey Johnson, Russellville
Fifth Place: Rebecca Reeves, Fort Smith
Sixth Place: Zachary Sellers, Dover

2007 Winners

First Place: Sasta Blackford Bentonville
Second Place: Katherine William Pelsor
Third Place:Alex Henderson Royal
Fourth Place:Lizeth Sandoval Russellville
Fifth Place: Amanda Kames, Dover
Sixth Place: Gracie Ingram, Sherwood

2006 Winners

First Place: Matthew White Dover
Second Place: La Toya Sergent North Little Rock
Third Place: Danielle Tucker Pine Bluff
Fourth Place: Naomi Muncy Mountain Home
Fifth Place: Allison Clark Quitman
Sixth Place: Alex Clifton Paris

2005 Winners

First Place: Pamela Liou , Richmond, VA
Second Place: Kristen Sutterfield , Russellville
Third Place: Leslie Miller , Clarksville
Fourth Place: Timothy Hill , Morrilton
Fifth Place: Bob Pellegrino, Hot Springs
Sixth Place: Kara Perry, Fox

2004 Winners

First Place: Sarah Bottoms, Benton, AR
Second Place: Sarah Morrison, Russellville, AR
Third Place: Jon Ezell, Fort Smith, AR
Fourth Place: Maria Sigmon, Rogers, AR
Fifth Place: Sarah Jones, Cabot, AR
Sixth Place: Ramona Oliver, Menifee, AR

2003 Winners

First Place: Sarah Benn, Cherryvale, Kansas
Second Place: Erika Johnson, Russellville
Third Place: Heather Browning, Arkadelphia
Fourth Place: Rachel Williams, Russellville
Fifth Place: Meagan Durham, Greenwood
Sixth Place: Richey Williams, Charleston

2002 Winners

First Place: Nicholas Coleman, Spiro, Oklahoma
Second Place: Cynthia Rice, Little Rock
Third Place: Misty Irving, Russellville
Fourth Place: Jessica Ralston, Springdale
Fifth Place: Tatum Branaman, Lakeview
Sixth Place: Heather Cope, Morrillton

2001

First Place: Kari Spice, Little Rock
Second Place: Sarah Hart, Russellville
Third Place: Ginny Hudson, Dover
Fourth Place: Jill Hedges, Huntington
Fifth Place: Ricky Massengale, Charleston
Sixth Place: Nick Morris, Glenwood

2000

First Place: Alex Cope, Morrilton
Second Place: Renae McCloud, Russellville
Third Place: Clayton Caldwell, Clarksville
Fourth Place: Jennifer McIntosh, Plainview
Fifth Place: Danielle Neeley, Russellville
Sixth Place: Rusty Cate, Murfreesboro

1999

First Place: Angela West, Russellville High School
Second Place: Christina Toole, Mountain Home High School
Third Place: Jeremy Burns, Russellville High School
Fourth Place: Brandi Easterling, Glen Rose High School
Fifth Place: Erin Butts, Dardanelle High School
Sixth Place: Ben Malone, Bryant High School

1998

First Place: Louise Shiu, Russellville High School
Second Place: Allison Brucker, Russellville High School
Third Place: Allison Osborne, Russellville High School
Fourth Place: Bambi Reid, Clarksville High School
Fifth Place: Scott McPherson, Grand Prairie High School
Sixth Place: Jennifer Campbell, Hot Springs

1997

First Place: Emily Strawbridge, Mountain Home High School
Second Place: Lori Leavell, Russellville High School
Third Place: Cynthia Wilcox, Ozark High School
Fourth Place: Bambi Reid, Atkins High School
Fifth Place: Angela Dunning, Russellville High School
Sixth Place: Carolyn Schauer, Russellville High School

1996

First Place: Misty Beck, of Morrilton
Second Place: Sarah Chappell, of Clarksville
Third Place: Joey McCollum, of Mulberry
Fourth Place: Constance Matlock, of Mountain Pine
Fifth Place: Nick Swain, of Perry
Sixth Place: Chau Tran, of Fort Smith