Eight Coastal Carolina University students majoring in graphic design took home awards- including the top prize for Best of Show - in the student category of the American Advertising Awards gala held Feb. 11 in Myrtle Beach.

CCU senior Kristin Pisano won the Best of Show/Judges Choice award as well as a gold award for her orange juice-packaging project. Pisano completed the work for a packaging class under Ellen Lytle, visiting assistant professor of visual arts at CCU.

Theresa Calabrese, a senior, won four awards for her work in classes and university publications. She earned a gold for her work as art director of Tempo, CCU's student-run features magazine, under the direction of Scott Mann, associate professor of visual arts; a silver award for her art direction of Archarios magazine, student literary and art publication, under the direction of Paul Olsen, professor of visual arts; a bronze award for her work on the Wounded Warrior campaign for a graphic design class under Jacob Cotton, former CCU visual arts faculty member; and a bronze award for her design of the article "Giving in to Gluten" in Archarios magazine.

CCU alumnae Ashley Nielsen and Dorothy Thompson '16 won a gold award for their collateral materials publication and book design, part of the "Powering the New South" project for CCU's Athenaeum Press, under the direction of Mann.

Itzi Duarte, a senior, won a silver award for her tequila-packaging project completed for a packaging class under Lytle.

Jasmine Kennedy, a senior, won a silver award for her olive oil packaging project, also for a packaging class.

Thomas Mesiarik, a junior, won a silver award for his skateboard illustration completed for a graphic design class under Olsen.

Alicia Shirah, a junior, won a bronze award for her milk-packaging project for a packaging class under Lytle.

"I am very proud of the students who won awards and the faculty who coached them," said Lytle, who attended the event with the students. "Graphic design requires a strong commitment from students. It's a tough major with many late nights involved. The students learned industry standard skills and produced professional level work that has been recognized by the local advertising community as exceptional."

The American Advertising Awards, formerly the ADDYs, is the industry's largest competition, attracting more than 40,000 entries each year in local competitions. The mission of the event is to recognize and celebrate the creative spirit of excellence in advertising.