College of Charleston Sweeps Charleston AMA Spark! Awards
The College of Charleston earned top honors at the recent Spark! and the American Advertising Federation Awards, with students, faculty and staff recognized across multiple categories.
by Grace Stroup
Above (l–r): Abby Oakley, Kelley Cours Anderson, Elizabeth Rodrigues, Gwendolyn Dickerson
The College of Charleston earned top honors at the recent Spark! and the American Advertising Federation Awards, with students, faculty and staff recognized across multiple categories. The awards were hosted by the Charleston American Marketing Association.
Assistant Professor of Marketing Kelley Cours Anderson was named Best Marketing Professor, while students Gwendolyn Dickerson, Sofia Rodriguez and Kiley Mullen received top honors for their Campaign in a Day work supporting the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition. During the Campaign in a Day competition, students had the opportunity to collaborate with local marketing professionals to create a real campaign that benefited Charleston-area nonprofits.
Abby Oakley and Elizabeth Rodrigues were also recognized with the Best Product or Services Sales Marketing award for a standout project that focused on the future of fitting rooms.
“Our project focused on designing personalized dressing room lighting mirrors that let shoppers choose their preferred lighting color and brightness,” says Oakley, a senior majoring in marketing and minoring in studio art. “This solves a major reason people leave without buying: bad/unflattering fitting room lighting. For retailers, it’s a one-time investment that can boost buyers’ confidence and sales.”
Bronwyn Bruder earned the Student Marketer of the Year award, and Isabella Fallon was named Best Student Influencer for her work, “Come with me to Splash Car Wash.”
Biology and environmental and sustainability studies double-major Jakob Highducheck won the Best Student Film Award for his documentary, First Gen. The film highlights first-generation students at the College of Charleston. It is now permanently featured in the First-Generation Hub on the College’s website and was made in collaboration with CofC alumna Molly Moloney ’24.
The College of Charleston School of Business also took home two Spark! Awards – Best Print Collateral and Best Promotional Collateral – for its 2024–25 Year in Review.
The strong showing highlights the College’s emphasis on experiential learning and student-driven marketing innovation, with winners representing collaboration across faculty, students and staff.
Grace Stroup is an M.F.A. candidate in creative writing at the College of Charleston.
