(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Two students from the Digital Media Design program at Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus made an impressive showing at the 2025 American Advertising Federation – Houston Student Advertising Competition and Conference.
Shania Ceasar, of Richmond, earned second place at the competition, while Cristina Reyna, of Rosenberg, finished in third place.
“We were assigned to small groups and given a creative brief from the client Mahindra Tractors,” Ceasar said. “We found out they are an agricultural machinery manufacturer. We focused on strategies to improve the company’s social media presence. It was exciting because the judges were also representatives from that company.”
Reyna said her team developed a presentation tailored to the client’s consumer base.
“Our group looked through the company’s website and felt it had too much activity,” she said. “We agreed that less is more impactful. We decided to redesign parts of their website.”
Robyn Harris, board member and student conference co-chair for the American Advertising Federation, said the students’ success signals that emerging talent can bridge creativity and technical fluency to meet the evolving demands of modern advertising.
“Shania and Cristina’s submissions stood out because their team’s rooted their concepts in a clear understanding of the client’s business challenge and target audience,” Harris said.
Michael Lewis, TSTC’s Digital Media Design and Web Design and Development program team lead, said the Student Design Club made it possible for the students to attend the conference.
“Through the club, students gain experience working as part of a creative community, sharpening leadership abilities, receiving peer critique and participating in industry-focused events,” he said. “Their success demonstrates that the Digital Media Design program prepares students with the skills required in today’s competitive agency environment.”
The conference is a nationally recognized two-day, advertising competition designed to help college students launch careers in the industry. On the first day, students from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas formed teams to create comprehensive marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns for a sponsoring brand. On the second day, participants learned from professionals at agencies and brands, and viewed the winning presentations.
Registration for the summer and fall semesters is now underway at TSTC. For more information, visit TSTC.edu.