About the award

Wake Forest University seeks to recognize outstanding young scholars with the Wake Forest University Book Award. Eligible recipients are current high school juniors; he or she will be both a leader within the classroom and within the broader school and community, serving as a role model for other students.

Award Criteria

Wake Forest has been devoted to the pursuit of excellence in liberal arts for over a century and a half. It seeks to encourage habits of mind that ask “why,” that evaluate evidence, that are open to new ideas, that attempt to understand and appreciate the perspectives of others, that accept complexity and grapple with it, that admit error, and that pursue truth. The university adheres to the conviction that the humane values embodied in the liberal arts are also centrally relevant to the professions.

The recipient of the Wake Forest Book Award will embody these values:

Nominations

If you are interested in connecting with your local high school and presenting a Wake Forest Book Award, the Alumni Office with your name, city, and high school affiliation. The Alumni Office will match interested volunteers with a local school or give new schools the opportunity to bring the Book Award to their campus.

Once the high school has chosen a recipient, volunteers will present “Collected Book of Poems,” a compilation of award-winning poems by Reynolds Professor of American Studies Dr. Maya Angelou, during an awards ceremony. Ceremonies are located on the high school’s campus and usually take place in April or May. Ceremonies last anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour. The Alumni Office will provide volunteers with directions, parking and presentation information.