Arkansas Tech University alumnus Scott Seay served as the keynote speaker for the 2026 National High School BBQ Championship, which was held in The Colony, Texas, during June.
Seay, a 2010 graduate of Arkansas Tech, is the founder of GrillinLite.com.
He launched the website after he lost more than 170 pounds while continuing to enjoy his passion for barbecue.
His message to the next generation of pitmasters centered on one idea.
“You do not have to give up what you love to change your life,” said Seay. “GrillinLite.com is a platform focused on healthy BBQ, mindset transformation, motivation and community impact. What began as a small blog quickly evolved into a growing national brand centered around the message ‘Grow. Grill. Heal.’ Through GrillinLite.com and the “Healing Through Q” podcast, I seek to share stories centered around perseverance and transformation.”
Ninety-seven teams of up to five members each competed at the 2026 National High School BBQ Championship.
Seay’s speech to that group and their coaches, mentors and family supporters was the latest step in his journey to becoming a significant figure in the live-fire cooking community.
He has worked with individuals such as Carla Di Lorenzo (known on social media as Che Tanita) and Ron Dempflmaier (known on social media as Captain Ron Cooks).
Seay is also an auditor for the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind. He has been a State of Arkansas employee since August 2014. After beginning his career with the Department of Human Services, he transferred to the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind in November 2021.
