Jupiter, FL (February 7, 2011) – Five students of Florida Atlantic University’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College stood out among honors students throughout the state in their research and creative work this year.  Alan Gray, Tamara Howard, Nicole Murphy, Alexa Billow, and Shaina Rowell will all be recognized by the Florida Collegiate Honors Council (FCHC) as winners in this year’s competitive writing contest. Rowell and Billow received first and second prize respectively in the Junior/Senior Documented Research or Critical Thinking Division. Gray and Howard each received recognition in the Junior/Senior Documented Research or Critical Thinking Division; and Murphy was recognized in the Freshman through Senior Fiction Writing Division. 
           The five winners have been invited to attend the upcoming FCHC conference to present their work and receive their prizes. Shaina Rowell, the author of a piece entitled “Young Children's Ability to Detect Logical Inconsistency,” says that she was “surprised, but very excited” when she was informed about winning the contest. She and her fellow Honors College students are looking forward to the opportunity to share their work and interact with the honors students from around the state.
           In addition to monetary prizes, the even greater prize for these students may be the assurance that their hard work at the Honors College has received widespread recognition. Alan Gray notes how his time at the Honors College was the foundation for his success in the contest.  “My studies at the Honors College most definitely aided in the construction of this article. During my time here, I have developed the research and writing skills, as well as ability to collaborate with my peers on an academic paper, without which this paper would not have been the tremendous success that it was.”
           Gray also expressed his delight in the overall success of his fellow Honors College students and the prominence of Florida Atlantic University in the competition. He says that this exciting achievement “reflects the academic rigor and high standards of success which the Honors College promotes among its student body.”
          This year’s winners are confident that the work they put into their essays and creative works will aid them in the future. Shaina Rowell plans to continue research and intends to pursue an advanced degree in psychology. Rowell notes, “I think that this award will show graduate schools that I have been well trained in writing research papers at FAU, and presenting my research to others will be a great experience that will help my future career in research.”
          Jeffrey L. Buller, dean of the Wilkes Honors College, notes: “These awards demonstrate just how much an intense, nurturing academic environment like we’ve created at the Honors College can propel students to achieve their goals and to expect great things from themselves.”

byline: WHC Student Intern Megan Geiger