Congratulations to the following scholarship recipients for the 45th anniversary edition of the Crowder Quill!

Eduardo Salema, 2D Art
“Vovo`” Cover
Carl Junction High School

Caitlyn Bonass, 3D Art
“From the Ashes” Page 45
Cassville High School

Chayce Bowman, B&W Photography
“Classic Muscle” Page 56
McDonald County High School

Logan Weaver, Color Photography
“Mountain Lake Trail” Page 95
Carl Junction High School

Logan Barton, Digital Art
“Agua Cristalina” Page 8
McDonald County High School

Raegen Phelps, Fiction
“Ambition’s End” Page 60
Aurora High School

Dominick Trimble, Nonfiction
“Jenny” Page 10
McDonald County High School

Rita Johnson, Poetry
“Zombies” Page 66
Marionville High School

Gold high school entrants in each category win a $500 scholarship eligible upon enrollment in a course corresponding to the winning category.

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Scholarships available for high school gold winners

$500 scholarships are available to the high school gold winners for each category in the Crowder Quill literary/art contest. This one-time scholarship is for the top high school winner in each category. For the 2025-26 edition, the categories were fiction, nonfiction, poetry, color photography, B&W photography, digital art, 2D art, and 3D art.

The scholarships are funded by individual departments (art and digital marketing) in order to nurture the talent presented during the Quill contest. Those winning students must enroll in one of the courses designated on the certificate to activate the scholarship. Currently, the eligible courses are as follows:

• 2D and 3D art gold award winners: ART 103, 104, 106, 107, 110, 111, or 210
• Literature, photography, and digital art gold award winners: DIGM 102, 103, or 105 or COMM 106

After the first semester, the department may elect to renew the scholarship if student has shown satisfactory progress in the discipline and has maintained a minimum g.p.a. of 2.5. Students should inquire about renewing the scholarship through the appropriate department.

The award does not expire, but the award recipient should contact the digital media marketing department (LatoniaBailey@crowder.edu) for writing and photography scholarships or the art department (JoshuaKnott@Crowder.edu) for those categories prior to the semester of enrollment to complete a current scholarship form for the Admissions/Financial Aid offices.

The deadline for the contest/scholarship is Feb. 1 each year.

As The Crowder Quill transitions into the Career and Creative Writing certificate at Crowder College, it will discontinue 2D and 3D Art categories to focus on literary and digital work, creating more space for writing while still encouraging artists to participate through digital formats.

Beginning with the 2026-27 contest cycle open now, the categories for the Quill will be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, color photography, B&W photography, and digital art.

Artists working in traditional 2D and 3D media are encouraged to participate by adapting their work into digital formats and expanding their creative skillsets.

For more details, see the article “Contest Opens with Altered Categories.”