It’s been a whirlwind week for Chantelle Aguilar, a senior Chaminade communication major, who was named to the American Advertising Federation (AAF) 2017 Most Promising Multicultural Student Class. Flown into New York City by AAF, she spent Feb. 13-16 meeting with professionals from top advertisers, media companies and advertising agencies at the exclusive Most Promising Multicultural Students Recruiters Expo.
Held in conjunction with the Expo, an Industry Immersion program provided her with invaluable networking and learning experiences. The Industry Immersion component of the program allows students to experience the excitement of a career in advertising firsthand by visiting major advertisers, ad agencies and media companies and attending workshops led by industry leaders. In addition, at the “Building Bridges for Our Future Awards Luncheon,” she dined among leading executives and multicultural industry pioneers. The luncheon provided an opportunity for networking and mentorship.
Representing 34 schools, the Most Promising Multicultural Student Class was a carefully selected group of top-tier students in advertising and marketing programs from across the country. The class was selected for their excellent GPAs, demonstrated talent, leadership and service abilities.
In his recommendation letter, Aguilar’s adviser Dr. Cliff Bieberly said, “Chantelle is an extremely conscientious student who works hard and always takes on new challenges.” Adding that she is an officer in Chaminade’s American Advertising Federation College Chapter, he pointed out Aguilar’s exceptional GPA. “This very high-grade average has been earned despite the fact that she is a commuter student, works and is highly involved in our Hogan Entrepreneurs Club, Communication Club, our AAF Student Chapter and the university’s student government where she serves in a marketing communication role,” Dr. Bieberly said.
The 2017 MPMS Judges Committee reviewed the applications from more than 100 highly accomplished students. Judges came from several top agencies in the advertising profession, including Arc Worldwide, Bloomberg, Droga5, FCB, fluent360, mcgarrybowen, Momentum Worldwide and Omnicom Health Group. According to the AAF, the judges “were blown away by the talent pool” and that the final selection was quite difficult.
Chantelle is the seventh student from Chaminade to receive this honor since the Communication program began participating in 2004.
