The Academy of American Poets, Gordon Barber, Eleanor B. North, and Hammond creative writing awards are given annually to students whose work is judged the most promising. The Alice Wingo Essay Award is given to the author of the best essay written in a literature course, and the Pendley English Teaching Award is presented to student-teachers who demonstrate great potential as teachers of English.

Awards are announced on Honors Night at the end of the spring semester.

The Eleanor North Scholarship for English Majors is awarded on the basis of character, potential, and need to students who have declared a major in English.

Awards in the past have ranged from $100 to $3,000. The number of students eligible for the award varies from year to year. Applicants for the Eleanor North Scholarship must have completed and filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and a Student Data Form at the Office of Student Work and Financial Aid.

2012 Awards, Scholarships, and Recipients

Academy of American Poets – Rachel Childs
Financed by Joseph Corson Llewellyn and Emma Piatt Llewellyn, this award is given by the Department of English for the best poem or group of poems written by a Berry student.

Gordon Barber Memorial Poetry – Rachel Childs and Heather Sanders (2 winners)
The Gordon Barber Memorial Award in Poetry was endowed by Mrs. William A. Barber in memory of her son. The award is presented to the students submitting the best original poems.

First Year Writing Award – (ENG 101) Kaitlyn Bradley; (ENG 102) Chelsea Fryar
The First Year Writing awards are given to the students submitting the essay from Eng 101 and from ENG 102 that best illustrates excellence in fulfilling the course goals. The essays are judged by members of the English, Rhetoric, and Writing Department.

Hammond Poetry – Brenna Conley (1^st place); Chelsea Fryar (2^nd place); Casey Cox (3^rd place)
This award is in memory of Mrs. Emily Vanderbilt Hammond, longtime donor and friend of Martha Berry, who started the poetry contest and personally made the awards during her many visits to Berry. The award is now made by the Daughters of Berry to honor the memory of Mrs. Hammond.

Eleanor B. North Creative Writing – Rachel Childs
The Eleanor B. North Award in Creative Writing was established by Miss North in April of 1972. Miss North taught literature at Berry College from 1951 to 1963. The award is presented to a student showing the most promise in creative writing.

Olde Leafe Award – none in 2012
Annual award for the best writing (any genre, any discipline) by a Berry student on a pre-modern or early-modern (i. e., pre-1700) topic.

Pendley English Teaching – Claire Pierce
The Pendley English Teaching Award is given annually in the field of language arts, on the basis of the student teaching experience, to a student who demonstrates great potential as a teacher.

Alice Wingo Essay – Heather Sanders
Alice Wingo Essay Award is given in memory of Miss Wingo, who for many years was Dean of Women at Berry College. The award goes to the student who writes the best essay in a literature course.