CONWAY, Ark. (April 30, 2020) – The
Hendrix-Murphy Foundation has announced five high school juniors as recipients
of the 2020 Hendrix-Murphy Book Award:
- Kinda
Abou-Hamdam, Liberal Arts & Science Academy (Austin, Texas)
- Maggie Batson,
Conway (Arkansas) High School
- Stella Burnett, Community
High School of Arts and Academics (Roanoke, Virginia)
- Ella Langridge,
El Dorado (Arkansas) High School
- Allie Parkinson,
Little Rock (Arkansas) Christian Academy
The Foundation offers the Hendrix-Murphy Book
Award to selected outstanding high school juniors who demonstrate distinguished
scholarship or leadership in literary studies (English), creative writing,
foreign languages, or dramaturgy, or achievement in community service relating
to literature or language (such as literacy work, tutoring in language arts,
translation, leading book groups or writing initiatives, etc.). Winners of the
award must have a grade-point average of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale in a
college-preparatory curriculum. Each honoree receives a copy of The Penguin
Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry, edited by Rita Dove.
Students at participating schools may be
nominated for the Hendrix-Murphy Book Award by their English, languages,
creative writing, or drama teacher, or by their guidance counselor.
“This award provides a way of recognizing
high school juniors with demonstrated excellence in literature and language,”
said Hope Coulter, director of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation. “Currently we
offer the award at 10 high schools around the region that have a strong
relationship with Hendrix College. Our hope is that in addition to providing
well deserved recognition for these individuals, the award raises the
visibility of Hendrix and the Murphy Scholars Program for the winners as well
as their classmates.”
The Hendrix-Murphy Book Award began in
conjunction with the Murphy Scholars Program, which provides
selected students a variety of mentored, cocurricular experiences that deepen
their knowledge of literature and language. Any Hendrix student with a passion
for these subjects may apply to be a Murphy Scholar, regardless of their major.
Murphy Scholars gain an added layer of distinction in literature and language
that enriches their perspectives and their lives.
About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
Hendrix-Murphy Foundation programs enrich and
enhance the study of literature and language at Hendrix College, both for the
college community as a whole and for students with intensive interest in those
areas. The late Mr. Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former Chair of the Board of Murphy
Oil Corporation and former member of the Hendrix Board of Trustees, established
the Foundation in 1978 in memory of his mother, Mrs. Bertie Wilson Murphy. A
1905 graduate of Galloway Women’s College—which later became part of Hendrix
College—Mrs. Murphy possessed a lifelong love of literature and language, to
which these programs are exclusively dedicated.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix
College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal
arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40
Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic
quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture
in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more,
visit www.hendrix.edu.