Asia AdonaAsia Adona, a senior with The Edward R. Murrow College of Education at Washington State University, has been named to the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Most Promising Multicultural Students Program (MPMS). The honor is selected by advertising and marketing-related industry leaders designed to promote diversity and inclusion within the field. Adona represents the seventh Murrow selection since 2005.

“Asia is a testimony to the potential of Murrow College advertising majors entering today’s industry, “ said Dan Petek, Murrow College instructor and AAF Education Board member. “The promise of MPMS will open an even greater door of opportunity for her professional career.”

Adona has previously served as the vice president of marketing as well as director of marketing for her sorority Alpha Phi. Most recently in the summer of 2015, she worked as a marketing and promotions intern with Local Media San Diego in San Diego, CA. During her last semester at WSU, she dedicated her time with WSU’s Student Involvement as a marketing ambassador.

Adona graduated from Murrow in December of 2015 with a bachelor of arts in strategic communications, with a focus in advertising and minor in Spanish.

Students from AAF’s college chapter network were selected through a vetted application process that included essays, letters of recommendation, résumé, and specific academic requirements. The 2016 judges represented DigitasLBi, ESPN, General Mills, GSD&M, Lapiz, Omnicom Media Group, Omnicom Group, Razorfish, and Wieden+Kennedy.

“MPMS has proven itself to be an exemplary program, helping to fuel the continued diversification of our industry,” writes Lori Hawthorne, the head of Talent Acquisition at Razorfish and a 2016 MPMS judge. “Many MPMS alumni have gone on to become the budding leaders and trendsetters within the advertising business.”

Adona will now attend the MPMS four-day industry immersion program that includes professional development workshops, agency visits, and a recruiter’s expo. Of note, leading agencies and companies have utilized the MPMS program year after year as a recruitment tool. According to MPMS, in 2015, 55 percent of these young professionals were offered a full-time position or internship during or soon after the conclusion of the program.

Among the previous Murrow winners:
2015 — James Ledesma and Madeline Schulte
2014 — Princess Buenaventura
2013 — Jasmyn Sanchez
2009 — Marissa Bayless
2005 — Phillip Neal

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