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A group of 11 Milligan University students and recent alumni were recognized and awarded for their creativity by the American Advertising Federation – Northeast Tennessee (AAF NETN) at the American Advertising Awards held on Saturday, March 2. Collectively, the group earned four awards.

“I am so proud of our students and their success in this year’s competition,” said Art Brown, associate professor of graphic design at Milligan. “This is an important opportunity for advertising and creative professionals in our region to see their work.”

The American Advertising Awards honor the best and most creative advertising work from students and professionals in advertising. As one of the industry’s largest creative competitions, nearly 35,000 professionals and students enter the American Advertising Awards competition each year.

Senior Emanuel Mogaya, of Tarime, Tanzania, received a silver ADDY award for his cover design of Milligan’s 2023 edition of “The Phoenix,” the university’s literary art magazine.

Marnie Tallon, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, won a silver ADDY in the illustration category for her work “In the Weeds.”

Senior Layney Loyd, of New London, Iowa, earned a Judge’s Choice Award in photography for “Hard Love.” A Judge’s Choice Award is awarded by each of the three judges to their favorite work in the competition across all categories.

A group of nine Milligan students and recent alumni also won a silver ADDY in the Cross-Platform-Integrated Advertising Campaign/Consumer Campaign category for a countdown campaign for Milligan’s 2023 “Two Cats + A Herd of Buffalo” art show. The Milligan students honored were led by alumna Katherine Eldridge (’23), of Fort Payne, Alabama, who coordinated the creation of the campaign. The other honorees include Tallon; senior Abbey Cartagena, of Johnson City, Tenn.; sophomore Ezra Fowler, from Pomona, Mo.; junior Hannah Stadler, from Dayton, Ohio; junior Eleanor Stoneham, of Charlotte, N.C.; alumna Kaylee Hendrickson (’23) of Unicoi, Tenn.; Stacia Wilson, a 2023 graduate from Roan Mountain, Tenn.; and Mariana Marsh, of Pearland, Texas.

“It’s rewarding to see our students’ creative work recognized by the judges, especially for projects where students have gained leadership experience and have collaborated as a team,” said Brown. “Their successes also reflect the strength of our graphic design and interactive media design programs at Milligan.”