Alise Crittendon named AAF Most Promising Multicultural Student

Alise Crittendon, an advertising student from Mableton, Ga., has been selected to the American Advertising Federation (AAF) 2022 class of Most Promising Multicultural Students.

“This is one of the biggest honors I’ve received thus far because it represents everything I have been striving for: increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the media industry,” said Crittendon. “I even wrote about this in my Grady statement of interest two years ago!”

The AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Student program is part of an initiative to promote diversity in the advertising workplaces. Crittendon will participate in a four-day workshop that will help advance skills, enhance professional development and provide exclusive networking opportunities.

Crittendon and her fellow 49 honorees from around the country were selected by a judging panel featuring representatives from Amazon, The Coca-Cola Company, TikTok, and many more leading advertising organizations.

“We are so proud to add Alise to the UGA Department of Advertising and Public Relations alumni who have been selected to participate in the highly competitive American Advertising Federation Most Promising Students program,” said Bryan Reber, Advertising and Public Relations Department Head.

Crittendon was also selected as a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies  Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) earlier this year.

Reber says Crittendon has become a superstar student and has grown through mentoring with faculty.

“Special thanks go to faculty who teach and mentor these students as they prepare their portfolios for the competitions,” Reber said. “Dr. Kirsten Strausbaugh has been a special mentor to Alise.”

After graduation, Crittendon plans to join an advertising agency as a copywriter where she would develop campaigns and powerful messaging for brands. She says she found a love for storytelling at Grady College and wants to use that passion to help brands execute strategy with creativity. She also credits her extra-curricular activities with helping her grow into a young professional.

“Women in Media and Talking Dog Agency are both special to me for different reasons, but my involvement in these gave me the confidence and experience I needed to continue working towards my goals,” said Crittendon.

See the full release from the American Advertising Federation here.

You can learn more about Crittendon in this InternViews piece published earlier in 2021.