Winners in 2026 Jessie O'Kelly Composition Award

The English Department and the Program in Rhetoric and Composition are proud to announce the 2026 winners of the annual Jessie O'Kelly Freshman Composition Award. This year's winner is Hunter Thomas, a recreation and sports management major in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation. He will receive a $500 scholarship award for his paper, "Why Turf?", about the dangers athletes face when playing on artificial turf. Runner-up is Westin Spencer, supply chain management major in Walton College of Business. He will receive a $300 award for his paper, "Managing the United States Military Budget," for Maria Hare's Composition I class.

To view these students click here: https://uark.meritpages.com/achievements/Winners-in-2026-Jessie-O-Kelly-Composition-Award/206150