The American Advertising Federation has announced its 2024 list of the 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students.   

Launched in 1997, this program, which receives hundreds of applications each year, is key to the organization’s efforts to help recruit and promote diversity and inclusion within the advertising, media and marketing industries. 

Students are selected from colleges and universities across the nation, then travel to New York to take part in an expo where they get to network with major companies and agencies such as Omnicom, IPG, Publicis Groupe, Sony Music, TikTok and more.   

This year’s judging panel included executives from companies including Amazon Ads, IPG’s Kinesso, Ogilvy, Snap, The Trade Desk, University of Memphis, Vox Media and Whirlpool. 

Prominent industry leaders like Tiffany R. Warren were once selected among the Most Promising. This year's expo will take place February 4-9. 

On average nearly 90% of each year's selected top 50 land a paying position in the industry by the time they graduate in May.   

Steve Pacheco, CEO of the AAF, stated, “Now, more than ever, the need to connect young talent to the advertising industry is a top priority for everyone.”  

Here is the list of winners: 

Tania Acosta 
Roger Williams University 

Alicia Anthony 
Towson University 

Janie Arseneaux 
Ball State University 

Gabriel Bori 
Brigham Young University 

Teju Calambakkam 
University of South Florida 

Emily Chu 
University of California Berkeley 

Aniya Davis 
University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign 

Alejandra De La O 
University of Texas at Austin 

Wesley Dean 
University of Minnesota Twin Cities 

Maya Ellis 
University of Minnesota Twin Cities 

Emily Eng 
Pennsylvania State University 

Anacorina Garcia 
University of Tampa 

Freya Garcia 
University of Florida 

Krystal Huang 
Pennsylvania State University 

Zaria Jackson 
Texas State University 

Lauren Jenkins 
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Didi Jin 
Northwestern University 

Kaitlin Kakoyiannis 
Ohio State University 

Aislan Lennon 
St. Mary’s University 

Jenna Lutfi 
Wayne State University 

Kayla Marrero 
Pennsylvania State University 

Audrey Meulehe 
University of Kentucky 

Monserrat Munoz 
Southern Illinois University of Carbondale 

Naomi Muuzic 
University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign 

Christina Nguyen 
University of Oregon 

Lily Nguyen 
University of Minnesota Twin Cities 

Haneen Nour 
Georgia Institute of Technology 

Aya Obaid 
University of South Carolina 

Cooper Olson 
University of Minnesota Twin Cities 

Jose Paniagua-Hernandez 
University of Oregon 

Sydney Pearson 
Syracuse University 

Alexis Quan 
St. John’s University 

Janice Rodriguez 
Ball State University 

Rolex Saint-Preux 
Florida A&M University 

Sam Suarez 
Chapman University 

Ava Swarup 
Arizona State University 

Hillary Thilavong 
Johnson & Wales University 

Arelia Thompson 
Harris-Stowe State University 

Jessica To 
Georgia State University 

Amirah Torrence 
Ithaca College 

Jackie Truong 
University of Florida 

Valeria Valdes 
University of Georgia 

Julissa Vazquez 
University of Houston 

Olivia Wallace 
University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign 

Ryan Wilson 
University of Missouri Columbia 

Hailey Winder 
University of Central Florida 

Kyndal Workman 
Chapman University 

Eli Wright 
Brigham Young University 

Grace Yam 
University of San Francisco 

Lakyah Young 
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania