The 2026 Org Awards
By Vashti Smith
It’s that time of year, Pirates! The Org Awards came back to Hampton University for Pirate Fest.
The 2026 Org Awards were held in the student center atrium on Monday, March 30th. The ceremony highlights campus organizations for their service and impact. Students nominate organizations, then vote for the ones with the most nominations.
The National Council of Negro Women was the most awarded, taking home 5 certificates, for “Social Justice and Advocating”,”Best Women’s Empowerment Organization”,”Outstanding Community Service”, “Cultural Impact”, and “Outstanding Organization” awards.
“ Being recognized by our peers for all the work we put in feels really validating. It takes a lot to run an organization this big, and being able to make an impact means a lot,” said NCNW’s vice president, Jewel Harper, a graduating senior biochemistry major.
Harper also mentioned that NCNW has a bright future ahead.
“I want us to continue to be welcoming and service-focused. Our service initiatives for black women and our impact will only continue to grow,” she continued.
The Content Collective won “Best Social Media Presence” and “Outstanding Digital Content”. The Content Collective is an organization that showcases Hampton life through social media.
The “Creative” award and “Best Dance Organization” were awarded to the Majestic Dance Troupe.
HER University won “Rising Star”, the Hampton Bigs Program won “Best Mentorship Program”, Garden of Eden won the “Environment” award, HU Run Club won “Health and Wellness”, GenUs won “Best Educational Initiative”, and the pre-alumni council of the year was the DMV Pre-Alumni Council.
The Greer Dawson Student Leadership Program was awarded “Excellence in Leadership,” and the Student Recruitment Team won the “Spirit” award.
Besides organizations, a few lucky students were also left with certificates.
3rd-year Bryce Sanders was awarded “Best Campus Photography Business” for his business, Bryce Visionz. Sanders has used Bryce Visionz to produce neophyte presentation videos and recaps, photoshoots, strolling videos, homecoming promos, and many other videos. After becoming a 2025 Spring Initiate of the Beta Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., he also captures a lot of footage for his fraternity’s social media.
“Best Beauty Entrepreneur” went to 2nd year Jaiyana O’Reilly for her business, StylesByJai. O’Reilly is well known on campus for her hairstyling capabilities. She does different types of braids, retwists, ponytails, and quickweaves. StylesByJai celebrates its 6th year in business this year.
Mister Senior Tyler Kelley was awarded “Best Food Entrepreneur” for his TikTok series TK Food Review. In the series, Kelley tries different foods and restaurants, often with his friends.
Graduating senior Elisha Williams won “Best On Campus Brand” for his clothing brand, Overtime Creations. Williams is credited with creating merchandise for the different graduating classes and organizations at Hampton. His Greek paraphernalia items are also popular on multiple campuses, including Hampton, Clemson University, Norfolk State University, and more.
“Best Male Athlete” went to 2nd-year basketball player Kellen Lewis, and “Best Female Athlete” went to 2nd-year volleyball player Morgan Warren. Graduating senior Samuel Lipscomb won best dressed.
Congratulations to all of the winners!
Courtesy of Vashti Smith