What does it take to stand out in today's competitive professional landscape? For a group of U of A students, the answer is clear: a well-crafted, thoughtfully curated ePortfolio. This spring, students enrolled in ARSC 32003 Professional ePortfolio rose to the challenge, submitting digital portfolios that showcased not only their academic achievements and career readiness, but also their personal journeys, creative strengths and professional ambitions. A panel of career experts and university alumni reviewed submissions based on content, organization and professional relevance to identify the top entries.

The winners will receive a certificate and will have their ePortfolios featured on portfolio.uark.edu, the official U of A site showcasing student work. Additionally, their portfolios will be included as sample materials in the open educational resource textbook, Professional ePortfolios by Lynn Meade.

This year's winners in order are as follows:

Abigail Bellocchio

At the time of making this portfolio, I am a graduating senior. I am so grateful I took this class before I graduated. Now, I have a complete, professional exhibition of myself. My favorite part of my portfolio is my Home page. I worked really hard on the About Me statement, and it was the first time in this course I realized, "Hey, I actually have things to talk about! I accomplished things! I have goals!" First impressions are important, and I believe mine introduces me as a competent young professional.  

Go to Bellocchio's portfolio here.

Reagann Stolar

My favorite part of my ePortfolio is the Passion, Motivation and Strength page. This page of my ePortfolio gave me that opportunity to define my passions and think about how they have affected my life up until now, as well as how those experiences can help me find a job. Being able to reflect on and pinpoint my motivations and strengths also prepares me for the future. I have a better understanding of why I want to do the things I plan on in my future, and I know that I have the resources and strengths to do well in my chosen field.  

Go to Stolar's portfolio here.

Stella Hufhines

Creating my ePortfolio helped me realize just how much I've actually accomplished during my time in college. Having to sit down and remember, track and write about both my professional and personal milestones wasn't just useful for putting together the portfolio, as it genuinely boosted my self-confidence. My favorite part of the entire portfolio is definitely my "What I Bring to the Table" page. This section includes my key achievements, featured skills, my overcoming story and a breakdown of my passions, motivations and strengths. Each category is clickable and leads to a different page, which makes the design feel interactive and visually clean. I love it not only because I got creative with the layout using the buttons, but also because of what the content represents.

Go to Hufhines' portfolio here.

Emma Price

My favorite part of my eportfolio is my section titled "Award-Winning Contribution: 'Wander-Thirst' by Florence Price" on the Featured Works page. I love the way the carousel of photos looks right above the story and that I was able to add the actual album on Spotify to the page. I like how readers can listen to a sample of the music without having to leave my eportfolio. I am also excited about the link I added to take readers to the Fulbright blog page to read more about the award we received. Together, it all looks very appealing and organized.

Go to Price's portfolio here.

Lynn Meade, the course teacher of both in-person and online sections, writes, "I am so proud of these students who put in the extra work to make a top portfolio. By curating and presenting their work in a professional format, they demonstrate key career competencies that employers and graduate schools value. I expect that these portfolios will set them apart for years to come."

For more information on ePortfolio at the U of A, go to portfolio.uark.edu.