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TEMERLIN STUDENTS WIN RECOGNITION IN PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS

Cholula Advertisement

By Caroline Pritchard

The Temerlin Advertising Institute is celebrating numerous students who have been recognized by prestigious advertising competitions such as the Dallas Society of Visual Communications National Student Show & Conference, the Society of Publication Design Student Competition, the American Advertising Federation Student Awards and more.

Some ceremonies remain online this year, but it has nevertheless been a successful awards season, proving that Temerlin students continue to stand apart. “We are tied with last year in terms of the number of awards that we’ve won, but we’re not even halfway through the year yet,” says Senior Lecturer Mark Allen.

Allen attributes the success to Temerlin’s exceptionally smart students, as well as the program’s balanced approach. “We focus first and foremost on the concept. The work we are looking for isn’t just eye candy,” he says. “It has to have something smart and strategic behind it, and we also push our students in the area of craftsmanship.”

Students are still waiting to hear back on some competitions, including the Communication Arts Advertising Annual Competition. Several Temerlin students have already made the shortlist of that organization’s Design Annual Competition. Overall, Allen is very optimistic. “I fully expect that this will be our most successful year ever in the awards space,” he says.

This year’s successes also include four wins at the American Advertising Federation Student Awards — the national ADDY Awards — which will be covered in a separate blog post. But continue reading to learn more about some of the student work that caught judges’ eyes at other top competitions this year.

Big Wins at the DSVC National Student Show & Conference

Five Temerlin students had work accepted into this year’s National Student Show & Conference, hosted online in April. “That’s a big deal on its own,” says Allen.

The results were even more remarkable. Temerlin nearly swept the “best of” advertising categories, won two special awards, and took home a total of $1,600 in prize money.

“Even though everything was virtual this year, the show was incredible,” Allen says. “In fact, it didn’t feel like a student show at all—a sentiment that was echoed by several professionals on the jury this year.”

Tupperware Logo — Maria Archundia

Accepted Into Show

Maria Archundia was recognized for her smart and simple Tupperware logo. “The National Student Show is a fiercely competitive, design-centric venue that attracts top four-year graphic design programs from across the country,” Allen says. “The fact that Maria got her Tupperware logo into one of the most difficult categories in the entire show as a graphic design minor speaks volumes about her and our small-but-mighty program.” Archundia was recently hired as an art director at Dieste, an agency in Dallas.

Nair for Men Campaign — Ethan Rios

Accepted Into Show

Rios entered Temerlin last year as an aspiring art director, but recently it’s his copywriting that has made waves. When Allen saw Rios’ campaign for Nair for Men, he immediately knew the headlines were what made it special. “I told him, ‘I know you think of yourself as an art director, but I really think you should enter this in more than one category,’” Allen recalls. “It’s so funny and well written.”

            Gabb Wireless Campaign — Helen Cheever

            Best of Category: Copywriting ($200 Prize)

Helen Cheever’s campaign for Gabb Wireless’ streamlined, kid-friendly phones speaks powerfully to protective parents with headlines like “Sometimes, parents want less for their kids.” What makes it even more impressive is that it’s the first campaign she ever produced. “Copywriting is a specialized skill that usually takes several semesters to hone,” Allen says.

Cholula Hot Sauce Campaign — Sam Zimmerman

            Best of Category: Out of Home ($200 Prize)

Zimmerman had a simple but intriguing idea for a Cholula campaign: Bold flavor stands out. Intriguing enough that commercial photographer Stewart Cohen offered to shoot it for him. “This campaign pushed me out of my stock photo comfort zone and allowed me the experience of the planning and work that goes into executing and producing a campaign,” Zimmerman says, calling it his best experience at Temerlin to date. Cohen later invited him to work as his photography assistant, giving Zimmerman a taste of what it’s like to work for real clients.

23andMe Digital Campaign — Meredith Welborn and Luke Lockwood

Best of Category: Video/Commercial ($200 Prize)

Best Use of Paper sponsored by Lindenmeyer Monroe Paper ($500 Prize)

Colossal Innovation Award ($500 Prize)

This creative digital commercial campaign used strips of paper and stop motion animation to illustrate how DNA testing reveals personal history. The creators are art director Meredith Welborn and copywriter Luke Lockwood, who were both advanced portfolio students.

“It’s the first time I’m aware of that an advertising campaign has won Best Use of Paper,” Allen says. “This was the award we went nuts over. We just couldn’t believe it because that award always goes to a really high-end graphic design piece like a packaging or book design project.”

While the concept for the 23andMe campaign took months to refine, the actual commercials came together in just a few weeks. “It was a Hail Mary,” Welborn says. “I shot all the photos on the ground with a makeshift tripod and backdrop made from a Post-it easel over Thanksgiving break while I was in California. It really showed me that you don’t need a studio or fancy equipment to create a great ad. It’s all about the idea.

“I feel extremely grateful to have gone through the creative program at SMU,” she continues. “Most people have to go to a separate portfolio school to learn what we learn during undergrad.”

Welborn and Lockwood graduated in May; Welborn is currently interning at BBDO New York, and Lockwood is returning to SMU in the fall to pursue a graduate degree in finance.

See both commercials here and here.

Communication Arts Design Annual Competition: Three Temerlin Students Make the Shortlist

Current Temerlin student Sarah Scambray and recent graduates Anna Rose Corell, Rani Vestal and Maria Archundia made the shortlist for the Communication Arts Design Annual Competition. “This is one of the premier award venues for design,” Allen says.

Archundia once again received recognition for her sleek Tupperware logo, while the other students were acknowledged for book designs. Scambray’s design was for DIVORCED BEHEADED DIED DIVORCED BEHEADED SURVIVED: The Truth About the Wives of King Henry VIII, and Corell and Vestal collaborated on a design for Darkness. Finalists will be announced at the end of this year.

After graduating in May, Corell was hired as a copywriter at The Richards Group in Dallas. Vestal, who graduated in 2020, recently accepted a position as a designer at Paperwhite-Studio in New York.

Applied Arts Magazine Student Awards Competition: Temerlin Breaks Into Publication

For the first time, Temerlin students will be published in Applied Arts magazine. Anna Rose Corell, Rani Vestal and Sarah Scambray received awards for publication design, while Meredith Welborn and Luke Lockwood won for their 23andMe digital campaign. The annual competition is based in Canada and the magazine will come out in November or December.

Allen explains one of the things that makes this honor so special. “Back when I graduated, one of the coolest things was that a lot of award-winning work still got printed in magazines that people could buy,” he says. “There are so few print magazines anymore, but Applied Arts is one of the hold-outs.”

Publication Design Student Competition: Sarah Scambray Takes Third Place

In another Temerlin first, a student has placed in the winner’s circle of this highly competitive international contest judged by representatives of esteemed publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Variety, Fast Company and Cosmopolitan. Graphic design minor Sarah Scambray won third place for her spread featuring professional basketball player James Harden and his signature beard—it’s the same one that will appear in Applied Arts magazine later this year.

“This was one of my favorite projects, mostly because the subject matter presented so many fun possibilities,” Scambray says. “When I found out I received third place I was very surprised and ecstatic—it’s always an honor to have your work validated, especially in a creative industry where everything is so subjective.” Scambray is currently interning as an art director at Slingshot in Dallas.

One Club for Creativity Young Ones Competition: Temerlin Well Represented on Jury, and 23andMe Wins Merit Award

In March, the One Club for Creativity announced the jury for its student Young Ones competition. The jury included Allen, as well as Temerlin alumni Morgan Hoff, Greg Peterson, Helen Rieger, Sofia Rosell, Tanner Thompson and Gabe Towles. Allen points out that these graduates are all under 30 years old, but have already won awards for their work for major brands.

“Morgan Hoff graduated in 2017. But she has already produced Super Bowl commercials for Snickers. Top commercials that everybody is talking about,” Allen says. “Some of these students have only been out of school three or four years, so it’s quite impressive that they were asked to be judges in a competition at this level.” Competition results were announced in June, and the 23andMe campaign by Meredith Welborn and Luke Lockwood won a “Merit” award.

Lürzer’s International Archive: Kong Dog Toys Campaign Nominated for Student of the Year Award

Temerlin alumni Kell Klopp ’20 and Megan Cruikshank ’19 were nominated for the Lürzer’s International Archive Student of the Year Award for their campaign for rubber dog toy manufacturer Kong. “There are tough questions in life that no one may ever be able to answer, which we connected to the durability of Kong toys,” Cruikshank says. The result is an illustrated campaign featuring philosophical dog-thoughts and the clever tagline “That’s a lot to chew on.” “It’s just a fun and light-hearted campaign that’s hard not to like,” Allen says.

2021 Temerlin Awards Honor Star Students

At the end of the school year, faculty gathered to vote on the students who stood out among all three Temerlin disciplines: Creative, Digital Media Strategy and Strategic Brand Management. One student whom Allen was particularly impressed by this year is Zainab Noshahi (creative), who received Temerlin’s Social Impact Award.

“This is an award that goes to somebody who, both on campus and off campus, makes a contribution from a social responsibility perspective,” he says. “Over the past year, Zainab started a group that helps students navigate the complexities of being a student of color at SMU, and specifically within the advertising industry.”

See the full list of winners honored at the May 5 ceremony below.

  • Outstanding Academic Achievement in Digital Media Strategy – Hannah Sung
  • Outstanding Academic Achievement in Creative Advertising – Sophie Vos
  • Outstanding Academic Achievement in Strategic Brand Management – Molly Mosby
  • Outstanding Graduate Student – Hillery Lemon
  • Outstanding Graphic Design Minor – Daniel Heard
  • Donald John Carty Leadership Award – Ankita Padarthy
    • The award and stipend are presented to a graduating student in recognition of leadership in the classroom, the Temerlin Advertising Institute, and beyond.
  • TAI Anchor Award – Anna Rose Corell
    • Given to a student who consistently “pulls more than his/her weight” in bringing projects to fruition.
  • TAI Optimizer Award – Abigail Norton
    • Given to a student who demonstrates a desire and aptitude to make work better through superior work strategies and iteration.
  • TAI Social Impact Award – Zainab Noshahi
    • Given to a student who exemplifies aspects of social responsibility in their advertising work and beyond.
  • TAI Resilience Award – Molly Mosby
    • Given to a student who deals effectively with project setbacks while maintaining a positive attitude and demonstrating a resolve to produce outstanding work.
  • TAI Service Award – Kathryn Chavez
    • Given to a student who renders substantial service to the campus at large as well as in the greater community.
  • TAI Team Player Award – Preston Riley
    • Given to a student in recognition of contributions to team projects and activities.
  • Face of TAI Award – Meredith Welborn
    • Given to a student who represents the best of what the Temerlin Advertising Institute is meant to be within Meadows, SMU and/or the advertising industry.
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Winning the Big iDea Takes More than Just a Great Idea!

A chance meeting while working in the hall at ULEE, SMU Psychology student and Neuroscience Lab Research Coordinator Madison McMahan met Advertising Professor Dr. Carrie La Ferle. After several conversations, they got to know each other. Recently, Madison shared her Big iDeas business idea: Panacea!

More than Instagram or Facebook. More than a dating app. Panacea helps people easily make friends based on shared interests and hobbies.

Taking cues from the world of advertising , Dr. La Ferle gave Madison some general ideas to consider for making a winning “pitch and presentation” on her Big iDeas Business Competition pitch.

After her Panacea idea won, Madison shared her enjoyment of the Big iDeas journey and learning how to start a business. “I had such wonderful encouragement from my family, friends, the Engaged Learning Team and SMU faculty Carrie La Ferle, Bruce Snider, and Carlos Martinez! This experience has given me huge insights into marketing, planning, advertising concepts, and the overall business world. The skills I have gained will help me in the future, especially with the things that I am super passionate about such as helping people find friends.”

Madison plans to launch the app in July and hopes everyone to be able to join Panacea to form new friendships.

To find out more about Panacea, or to be notified when the app is ready, please visit the website or email panaceaconnectionisgood@gmail.com.

Congratulations Madison and to the other 2021 Big iDeas Business Plan winners!

Find out more about Engaged Learning and Big iDeas at SMU.

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AWARDS: Celebrating Record-Setting Performance in the 2020 National Student Show and Conference

Temerlin Advertising Institute students recently competed in the 16th annual National Student Show and Conference (NSSC), sponsored by the Dallas Society of Visual Communications Foundation. The team of Kell Klopp and Allie Hartman won three awards: Best Overall Copywriting, Best of Advertising Category: Integrated Campaign, and Best of Advertising Category: Copywriting. Isaac Cordova won the prestigious Richard Patrick Memorial Scholarship Prize in Photography, given for the best body of photography work. The participants received their awards at the first NSSC virtual awards gala on April 25.

“This is an exceptionally competitive and prestigious show, and it’s a huge honor just to have your work accepted, let alone win,” said TAI Lecturer Mark Allen. “This year, we had more entries accepted than ever before and won more awards than ever before. We’re incredibly proud of these students!”

The NSSC began in 1957 as a one-day regional competition to give North Texas communication arts students the opportunity to showcase their work, and in the 1970s became the Dallas Society of Visual Communications Student Show. While there were many national competitions for established industry professionals, there were few competitions for up-and-coming students. In response, the DSVC Student Show transformed from a small, regional contest into a three-day national competition and conference in 2004. Now known as the NSSC, it is the largest  advertising and design competition for students in the country, offering over $20,000 in cash prizes and scholarship awards.

The three-day event typically features keynote speakers, breakout sessions and portfolio reviews followed by a dinner reception and awards gala. However, due to the coronavirus, the conference was canceled and the gala was moved online this year.

Allen participated in the DSVC Student Show when he was a student in the late ’90s.  He has taught in the Temerlin Advertising Institute since 2003, and was first brought on to help start the creative program for art directors and copywriters.

“I knew the NSSC was a great place for us to get our name out there and to get our students recognized,” said Allen. “I started encouraging students to compete back when I first came to SMU in 2003, and we’ve been participating ever since. The DSVC also holds a professional show around the same time every year; my fellow advertising colleague Professor Willie Baronet and I have both participated and have been fortunate enough to be recognized for some of the work we’ve done as art directors and designers over the years. It might be a ‘regional’ show but it’s got a national reputation.”

Allen played an influential role in the competition itself this past year.

“For years the only advertising categories that the NSSC recognized were the traditional big three: print, radio and television. So I worked with the DSVC to add several new advertising categories that reflect current industry standards: interactive, out-of-home, experiential and others,” he said.

He also influences his students to consider participating.

“I am the cheerleader who is always telling students to enter their work,” he said, noting that getting one’s work and name recognized with the best of the industry can help propel careers. “I also help them figure out strategically what the best categories are for them to enter. It’s easy if you have a commercial – you put it in the commercial category. But if you have an integrated campaign that has several different pieces, it can be tougher to decide where they should go.  Once we do, the students take it from there.

“The work primarily comes out of the Creative Specialization classes that Willie and I teach like Concepting, Portfolio and Advanced Portfolio, but more and more we’re also getting work into the show from students in our Graphic Design minor,” he said.

Allen said that while he was thrilled with his students’ performance at the competition, the feeling was bittersweet knowing he would soon say goodbye to his graduating seniors.

“I’m just really proud of our students for all kinds of reasons,” he said. “Our program is at a really sweet spot where we’ve got a lot of energy and talent; we’ve got a truly exceptional group all-around right now. You’d figure that we’d get used to this by now, but every year we miss our students when we have to send them off.”

The SMU winning entries are as follows:

Best Use of Copywriting ($500)
Grammarly—Kell Klopp ’20 and Allie Hartman ’20

Best of Category: Copywriting ($200)
Grammarly—Kell Klopp and Allie Hartman

Best of Category:  Integrated Campaign ($200)
Grammarly—Kell Klopp and Allie Hartman

Richard Patrick Memorial Scholarship ($2,500)
Smile Reversal (photography series)—Isaac Cordova ’21

Kell Klopp and Allie Hartman’s Grammarly campaign also won Best Copywriting in TAI’s Portfolio Night & Exhibition. In addition, it is featured on Ads of the World, an advertising archive and community that showcases creative advertising from around the world.

Grammerly Best Copywriting award

“We thought a lot about when it is necessary to use Grammarly and found that the truth is Grammarly is all around the easiest way to be the best you can be,” said Klopp and Hartman in a joint statement. “We wanted our ads to show how simple of an app it is while highlighting the importance of using Grammarly.

“It’s not easy being an advertising student, and to be able to have our work awarded like this means a lot to us. We work hard and try our best, and we couldn’t do such amazing work without our outstanding professors,” the duo said.

The NSSC was the first competition in which Isaac Cordova has entered his Smile Reversal series.

asian girl not smiling in black and white photo on gray background

“This photographic series explores the emotions we feel behind closed doors, going beyond the mask of ‘picture-perfectism,’” said Cordova. “On a path to become my most authentic self, this series came to life as I became more and more uncomfortable with how people wear a ‘mask’ meant to hide how they really feel inside. There is nothing more beautiful than a genuine expression.

“Winning the overall photography award at the NSSC is beyond rewarding. I’m proud to represent SMU and I take it as a sign to never stop creating!” Cordova said.

Altogether, nine SMU entries were accepted into this year’s competition. The full list of accepted work is as follows:

Integrated Campaign Category
Grammarly—Kell Klopp and Allie Hartman
Kong Chew Toys— Kell Klopp and Megan Cruikshank ’19

Out-of-home Category
Beyond Meat—Sam Smith ’21, Avery Bouch ’21 and Elijah Niemczyk ’21

Video / Commercial Category
Diptyque—Anna Rose Corell ’21 and Gaëlle Gachelin ’19
SelfControl App—Kell Klopp and Megan Cruikshank
Vinyl Me, Please—Charlie O’Brien ’20 and Will Sutter ’21

Copywriting Category 
Grammarly—Allie Hartman and Kell Klopp
Kong Chew Toys—Kell Klopp and Megan Cruikshank

Photography Category 
Smile Reversal (series)—Isaac Cordova

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AWARDS: 2020 SMU Advertising Awards Luncheon Winners

The annual TAI Awards Luncheon was held in a first-ever virtual ceremony on Friday, May 1st. The event included COVID BINGO, senior superlatives, a video produced by seniors (below), and culminated with the presentation of awards.

2020 Award Recipients Include:

STUDENT AWARDS

Undergraduate Reader // ALLIE HARTMAN
Graduate Reader // PIPER HAMILL
Student Marshal // KAYLA GRIFFIS

Outstanding Achievement in Brand Management // MEGAN ROBERTSON
Outstanding Achievement in Digital Media // KAYLA GRIFFIS
Outstanding Achievement in Creative Advertising // ALLIE HARTMAN

TAI Outstanding Graduate Student // PIPER HAMILL

TAI Outstanding Graphic Designer // RANI VESTAL

Continue reading “AWARDS: 2020 SMU Advertising Awards Luncheon Winners”

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AWARDS: Creative Students to Showcase Winning Work at the 2020 DSVC National Student Show and Conference

Congratulations to the following Temerlin Students who’ve won 2020 DSCV National Student Show awards! This program is a professionally judged creative competition and conference built for students and their educators. Stay tuned to see the award-winning work!

Avery Bouch

Isaac Cordova

Anna Rose Corell

Megan Cruikshank

Gaëlle Gachelin

Allie Hartman

Kell Klopp

Elijah Niemczyk

Charlie O’Brien

Sam Smith

Will Sutter

 

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AWARDS: Creative Students Win 9 AAF Dallas American Advertising Awards

The AAF American Advertising Awards is one of the industry’s largest creative competitions, attracting nearly 35,000 professional and student entries each year through local club competitions. Temerlin creative students won NINE American Advertising Awards (ADDYs) at the 2020 AAF Dallas awards show last week. “Our students represented us well in front of the Dallas advertising community tonight and with so many gold, silver and Best of Show winners advancing on, we’ll keep representing SMU at the regional and national levels” explains Professor Mark Allen.

Creative students have worked very hard over the past semester to produce several award-winning campaigns, and we couldn’t be happier to see them succeed. Professor Willie Baronet shares: “I’m so proud of all our students for killing it tonight, especially Gaelle and Anna Rose for taking home BEST OF SHOW!  And kudos to the TAI team for creating space for these students to flex their creative brilliance!”

Winners Include:

BEST OF SHOW

Anna Rose Corell & Gaëlle Gachelin / P3 (Magazine Advertising)

GOLD WINNERS

Anna Rose Corell & Gaëlle Gachelin / P3 (Magazine Advertising)

Sydney Bottum & Sophie Vos / Hello Fresh! (Magazine Advertising)

SILVER WINNERS

Olivia Childs / Keurig (Magazine Advertising)

Abby Coon & Charlie O’Brien / Slip (Poster)

Sam Smith, Avery Bouch, EJ Niemczyk / Beyond Meat (Integrated Campaigns)

Sam Smith, Avery Bouch, EJ Niemczyk / Beyond Meat (Illustration)

Olivia Childs & James Klopp / Native Deodorant (Illustration)

Anna Rose Corell & Gaëlle Gachelin / Diptyque (Animation or Special Effects)

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Temerlin Students Featured in 2020 Lürzer’s Archive

It was back in the early 1980s that advertising copywriter and agency owner Walter Lürzer banged his fist down on the table and resolutely shouted out to himself: “If no one’s going to do it for me, I’m going to have to do it myself – for everyone!” What he was referring to, back in that dark pre-internet era, was the laborious process of hunting out and compiling advertising campaigns from around the world. In those days, there were not many ways of finding out how products and services were being advertised in, say, America, Asia, or individual European countries. The first issue of Lürzer’s Archive magazine was published October 1984 in Frankfurt, Germany which now has over 150,000 readers worldwide. Today, Lürzer’s Archive is the celebrated creative resource for advertising professionals worldwide which offers a full set of inspirational tools including Lürzer’s Archive magazine.

We celebrate Temerlin’s Kell Klopp and Megan Cruikshank’s Kong campaign which will be featured in the first issue of 2020! With this win, the Temerlin Advertising Institue’s overall Lürzer’s ranking is now #7 in the world and #4 in the United States.

Preview the award-winning work here: Continue reading “STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Temerlin Students Featured in 2020 Lürzer’s Archive”

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: How to Land Your Face in Times Square at 22

Temerlin’s own Kayla Griffis (’20) just returned from New York City as a member of the 2020 American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Most Promising Multicultural Student (MPMS) program.

The MPMS class is comprised of exceptional advertising talent across various disciplines who will lend their creativity and voices to inspire a more inclusive workforce as they start their professional, post-college, careers. This program affords students an inside look at the advertising industry where they participate in agency immersions, professional development, The Building Bridges for Our Future Student Awards Luncheon, and an exclusive recruiter’s expo.

“Each year, I have the pleasure of personally mentoring and watching the students simply blossom into the stars that they are. This experience gives multicultural students the confidence and reassurance that they belong in all spaces. The program also shows that our partners are trying to be intentional about bringing diverse talent into the industry. Thanks to Clear Channel Outdoor, this year, the faces of all 50 students made it on to several New York City billboards. Hands down, one of my top 3 moments this year was witnessing their faces in real-time when they saw the billboards. If at any point, they did not feel like they worked hard enough to be selected as Most Promising or believed that they “belonged,” everyone in Times Square sure did! I am extremely proud of these students and always look forward to witnessing the amazing things they will soon accomplish” explains Melony Hughes, Senior Manager of the AAF Mosaic Center & Education Services.

How Do I Apply?

Opportunities like this propel students into the advertising industry and our faculty are happy to take the time to champion our students to achieve these awards. The MPMS application goes live early each Fall. It consists of a resume, two essay questions, a personal tagline, and a recommendation letter from an advisor/mentor who is an AAF Member. Griffis adds, “I highly encourage students to apply to MPMS and other programs like this to get a better understanding of where they want to end up and to become better prepared for when they enter the workforce. My biggest takeaway is learning that I still have time to decide what I want to do, and nothing is set in stone.”

Learn more about the program here.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: TAI Student Kayla Griffis Speaks About Her Academic Experiences and Achievements

I am a junior majoring in Advertising with a specialization in Digital Media Strategy with minors in Graphic Design and Spanish. I’m also participating in the 4+1 SMU Advertising program that allows me to take undergraduate and graduate classes simultaneously in order to obtain bachelor’s and master’s advertising degrees in five years. During the 2018-2019 academic year, I received the following honors:

  • 2019 Dallas Area Alliance for Women in Media Irene Runnels-Paula McStay College Scholarship
  • 2019 Washington Media Scholars Foundation Media Fellows Scholarship
  • SMU Pi Beta Phi Foundation Scholarship
  • SMU Decima Chapter of Mortar Board National Honors Society
  • Finalist for 2019 AAF Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Internship
  • Finalist for 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program

I applied for these scholarships, internships, and honors societies at the end of the fall semester and was extremely nervous during the application processes because of the programs’ prestige and competitiveness. Managing deadlines, requesting letters of recommendation from professors and mentors, staying on top of daily homework assignments, and studying for tests was no easy feat. Nevertheless, I was determined to submit my applications, in case I wasn’t accepted as a junior, to refine my skills and experiences before becoming a senior.

When I was first notified that I received the 2019 Washington Media Scholars Foundation Media Fellows Scholarship, I was shocked! I couldn’t believe it until I spoke with a representative of the foundation who told me that my application was impressive and well-received. And while this was surprising, receiving two other scholarships–the 2019 Dallas Area Alliance for Women in Media Irene Runnels-Paula McStay College Scholarship and Pi Beta Phi Foundation at SMU Scholarship–was even more overwhelming. Additionally, qualifying for the 2019 AAF Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Internship and the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program were both amazing opportunities, though I ultimately decided to participate in the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program because of its focus to promote inclusion and diversity in the advertising industry. I am very passionate about this. My induction into the SMU Decima Chapter of Mortar Board National Honors Society is a privilege in itself and I am grateful to be a part of this organization that recognizes leadership, community service, and scholarship among students. As a 2019 MAIP Fellow, I will work at Digitas in Boston as a Media Buying and Planning intern this upcoming summer and am extremely excited.

SMU Advertising has provided me with amazing opportunities to network with professionals and connect with my peers as we prepare for future careers in the advertising industry. I hope to help foster a world where minorities are celebrated and accurately represented. I believe that I will make a difference in the industry, as a voice for minorities, and receiving these honors is just the beginning.

Kayla Griffis