Kent State Tuscarawas freshman Jason Keller won first place honors in the university’s eight-campus Virginia Perryman Awards in Freshman Writing for his essay, “Feeling Your Confidence,” written during his College Writing I course with Dr. GPat Patterson in fall 2018. The award was presented April 25 from the Department of English at Kent State.
“It’s pretty darn impressive to win first place, especially since students across all eight campuses were competing,” said Patterson.
Keller’s paper was in response to a rhetorical analysis and persuasive response assignment and was inspired by an article in the Kent Stater, titled, “Boys Don’t Cry, Men Do,” by Bruno Beidacki.
“Working on this piece really opened my eyes to the reality of society – what society wants you to feel as compared to what you really feel,” said Keller.
In summing up of his paper, Keller, a nineteen-year-old middle school education major from Dundee, said the overall message is to “never be afraid to show your emotions.”
All Kent State University freshmen were eligible to apply for the award with the submission of one piece of writing in any genre (essay, fiction, poetry, drama). Six prizes were awarded, three for students enrolled at the Kent Campus and three for students enrolled at Kent State regional campuses. The following prizes were awarded: $50.00, first place (two awards); $35.00, second place (two awards); and $25.00, third place (two awards).