This vibrant program has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to student poets since its establishment more than a decade ago. Through the generosity of James N. Harrell, we can offer a $2000 scholarship for the contest-winning poem, and a $1000 scholarship for second place. We established the contest and the scholarships expressly with entering freshmen in mind, as an encouragement to pursue poetry at the college level. And we know that both the recognition and the funding can make a huge difference in getting the good start at college that every entering student needs.