First-year Writing Awards Fall 2025

Donald E. Barnett Awards   

Each year, the English Department recognizes excellent writing in English 1102 by presenting two Barnett Essay Awards. Named in honor of Donald E. Barnett, who directed the Freshman English Program for many years, the awards consist of cash prizes and publication of the winning essays in the First-Year Writing Guidebook. These awards are supported by the English Department Fund.

Winner: Vivian Poley, nominated by O-Jeremiah Agbaakin

Vivian is currently a 2nd year Anthropology student with a focus on infectious diseases. Although Vivian is not actively studying literature, she has had a lifelong love for the subject. She greatly enjoyed widening her knowledge and improving her skills in Oluwatoyosi Agbaakin’s English 1102 class. She hopes to continue improving her informative and argumentative writing skills especially in the area of disease spread and prevention.

Vivian was nominated by O-Jeremiah: 

Vivian Poley’s ability as a critical thinker and a great storyteller was evident throughout the class. Despite my earlier observation of her unusual skills from the first day of class and other projects, I was still stunned by her remarkable application of the overlooked theme of racialized housing and neighborhood practice in Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah to the overall “Segregation in the Modern American South”. In a novel that centers the condition of the Africans in Diaspora through Ifemelu in the United States and other characters in the United Kingdom, Poley’s extrapolation of that theme was a valuable gesture. Overall, her argument is a fine exercise in literary interpretation, while offering a relevant socio-political critique of Southern culture.

Michael G. Moran e-Portfolio Awards  

Beginning in 2007, the English Department began recognizing the excellent work being done in ePortfolios for English 1101 and 1102 by presenting the portfolio awards. Named in honor of Michael G. Moran, a former director of FYW who did much to shape and improve the program and who has continued to support it by serving loyally on the First-Year Writing Committee, these awards also consist of cash prizes and publication of selected exhibits from the winning ePortfolios in the First-Year Writing Guide. These awards are supported by the English Department Fund. 

1101 Winner: Kaitlyn Chen

Kaitlyn is a first-year student from Suwanee, Georgia and is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Japanese Language at the University of Georgia. She has a longstanding passion for visual arts and takes interest in occasional journaling, as she utilizes art as a way to express her creativity and to de-stress. Outside of academics, she enjoys exploring new music, reading, and spending time with family. She would also like to thank Jessica DeMarco-Jacobson for helping her build a solid foundation for writing and for making her first collegiate writing class memorable. 

Kaitlyn was nominated by Jessica DeMarco-Jacobson:

We've all been there—staring blankly at our computer screens, trying to start a paper. Indeed, starting a paper is arguably the most difficult part of any project. But Kaitlyn Chen's Capstone Project tells us it's not so hard. With the help of the adorably illustrated cat, Tony, Kaitlyn's textbook chapter provides a wide array of brainstorming methods, along with how to transform the products of your brainstorming into your first draft. The chapter is beautifully designed and provides a thorough overview of the topic, all while remaining incredibly accessible and engaging

1102 Winner: Summer Gomez

Summer Gomez is a third-year student from Alpharetta, majoring in Anthropology with a minor in History. She is currently working towards a certificate in Archaeological Sciences, since archaeology is not only her goal career but a strong passion as well. Summer loves digging in the dirt, and by the end of the summer will have excavated in three different countries: Hungary, Poland, and, of course, right here in Athens, Georgia! She is a latecomer to UGA, transferring from Belmont University after her freshman year where she studied Music Composition and Music Technology. Although she couldn’t be more excited about a career in archaeology, her first love has always been music. Summer has written both full orchestra and string orchestra pieces which have been played by local high schools, and looks forward to continuing composing in her free time. Through taking English

Summer was nominated by Johanna Bailie:

Summer’s portfolio, “Symphony of Reflection,” is aptly titled: it is both a journey into Summer’s knowledge and love of music and a thoughtful reflection on her academic work. Throughout the semester, Summer was dedicated to developing her best work, and this portfolio is the culmination of that commitment, with essays that stand out for their attentive analysis. Like all academic writing, Summer’s essays are the result of work that began off the page in the realm of inquiry. With all our class readings and discussions, Summer’s substantive questions and insightful ideas not only contributed to her own learning but that of the whole class. The final piece of the portfolio, in which Summer sings and performs in ASL, embodies what every instructor hopes students gain from their courses. Summer’s performance, to borrow her own words, embodies how “preparation, hard work, and self-improvement come together” to showcase “new knowledge and confidence.”

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards  

English Department Winners: Ray Delva, Holly Haworth, Elisha Schuett, Rachel Hignite, and Kaitlin Thurlow

The Center for Teaching and Learning administers the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. This award recognizes the top ten-percent of teaching assistants demonstrating superior teaching skills while serving in the classroom or laboratory.