Hosea Born giving award acceptance speech at the 2024 COMM Award Ceremony

Hosea Born, a 2018 graduate with a BA program in Communication, was named the recipient of the Department of Communication’s 2024 Early Career Alumni Award. The award honors an alumnus or alumna who graduated within the past ten years and has a strong record of accomplishment and service to the community. 

Born joined the Arkansas Teacher Corps in 2018 and started teaching in the Hope Public School District. He earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at Henderson State University in 2020. He made an instant impact as an instructor. He was named the Arkansas Education Association’s Teacher of the Year in 2020, and the recipient of the National Education Association’s Award of Teaching Excellence in 2021. 

When he was named the state’s Teacher of the Year, Born told news outlets, “My goal is to make sure my classroom is safe and comfortable for students. I know growing up in a situation similar to that of many of my students that having a safe space was key for me to grow. Education can truly change a student’s life and I hope my teaching continues to show that.” 

Born’s passion for teaching has led to his own students winning multiple award. Serving as both an Art and Math teacher, his art students have been invited to present award-winning projects in the Capitol building in Little Rock. Moreover, as a coach of his school’s robotics team, his students have qualified for the Arkansas State Championships and the VEX Robotics World Championship. 

Inspired to transform the education infrastructure of Hope, Born has developed an impressive non-profit organization called Rocktown of Hope. Born identified a need for after-school space to provide local youth ore experience to study, create, and seek academic help. As a result, he acquired a massive downtown building downtown and developed

plans to restore the space. The massive project at the Brundidge/Scott’s building is in process, and Born provides updates on social media. When completed, Born plans for Rocktown of Hope to have a co-created and co-directed model where the students will not only be served by the space but will be at the table to shape how it will function. 

Associate professor Ryan Neville-Shepard, who nominated Born, wrote, “We grew close when he was a student, perhaps because we both came from working class backgrounds with similar personal challenges. I have been enormously proud of his success and have watched news of his career closely on social media.” Neville-Shepard explained the significance of the award, “As we seek to honor graduates of our program who have made significant contributions to their profession, exhibited impressive achievements, and continue to contribute to their community, I cannot think of anyone more deserving than Hosea.” 

Written by Ryan Neville-Shepard, Vice Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication

Photos by Lacie Bryles, Marketing and Programs Specialist