UCO Students Win District Awards at American Advertising Awards
May 12, 2025
Four University of Central Oklahoma graphic design students earned top honors at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 10 American Advertising (ADDY) Awards, advancing from the local competition to compete against students from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
District 10 represents one of the country's most competitive regions, and the ADDY student division recognizes exceptional creative work by emerging designers from across the region.
The following UCO graphic design students were recognized for their work:
- Madison Howe, a senior graphic design major from Oklahoma City, received the Gold Award in the Packaging Design category for “Merry Go Rolls”
- Taylor Keys, a senior graphic design major from Edmond, Oklahoma, received the Gold Award in the Book Design category for “Cassie’s Journey”
- Katelynn Potts, a junior graphic design major from Edmond, Oklahoma, received the Silver Award in the Book Design category for “High Contrast Dracula”
- Drayeson Swanegan, a junior graphic design major from Oklahoma City, received the Silver Award in the Special Event Materials category for “Pejorative”
“These students represent the future of the creative industry, and we are incredibly proud of their talent, dedication and success at the district level,” said Valerie Settles, Ph.D., director of the School of Design at UCO.
“Their achievements are a testament to the strength of UCO’s design program and the hard work they’ve put into their craft.”
Additionally, Rylee Townsend, a sophomore strategic communications major from Ryan, Oklahoma, received the Best Presenter award. Townsend was part of a Broncho presentation team that impressed the judges with their pitch on how to drive brand loyalty among Gen Z for AT&T. The team ultimately placed fourth.
Gold Award winners from the district competition will advance to compete at the national level of the ADDY Awards, with winners to be announced later this year.
For more information about the UCO School of Design, visit design.uco.edu.
For more information on UCO’s Department of Mass Communication, visit go.uco.edu/mass-comm.
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Cutline: Four University of Central Oklahoma graphic design students and one mass communication student earned top honors at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 10 American Advertising Awards, advancing from local competition to compete against students from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Pictured, left to right, are Drayeson Swanegan, a junior majoring in graphic design from Oklahoma City; Katelynn Potts, a junior majoring in graphic design from Edmond, Oklahoma; Taylor Keys, a senior majoring in graphic design from Edmond, Oklahoma; and Madison Howe, a senior majoring in graphic design from Oklahoma City.
