2007 ANDY Awards Recognize Academy Student Work

In the world of advertising, ANDY Award nominations are the mark of a great career. The ANDY Awards honor the very best work being done in the advertising industry; every year, entries from around the world are evaluated by an elite panel of the top professionals in the field. At the Academy of Art University, many students have begun their careers with one or more ANDY distinctions under their belt, even before graduation. In 2007, several Academy students have been recognized by the ANDY student competition, which will announce its winners later in the year. The following talented nominees are all in the running for a prestigious ANDY award.

Ozan Aslan came to the Academy knowing it was the only advertising school in the country that emphasized the portfolio as much as the degree. His goal is to become a Creative Director and start his own advertising agency. Ozan was one of the stars of the Academy's 2006 Spring Show, where a Creative Director with a top San Francisco agency noticed his work and hired him for his first job. Ozan has been published twice in the well-known, elite industry magazine CMYK. This is his first ANDY award nomination.

Ming Yu studied advertising design at the Fu-Shin art school in Taiwan before coming to the Academy. "I wanted to learn how to think outside the box" says Ming, who chose to come to the Academy for an MFA degree in advertising. Ming is one of the Academy's top MFA students in Advertising; she has already won a silver medal at the ADDY awards. This is Ming's first nomination for an ANDY. "It's very rewarding, it's proving that I'm on the right track in this field," says Ming. Ming sees her experience at the Academy as not only an academic one, but a very personal and inspiration one as well. Ming says that "I shall keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully if I do it the right way, one day I would become an award-winning creative director." All of us at the Academy are certain that she will!

Christina Yunckes came to the Academy wanting to study either Illustration or Advertising. She chose to study Advertising, but she has also used her educational opportunities at the Academy to keep up her Illustration skills. Christina has used the flexible curriculum at the Academy to become a truly versatile artist. Not only has she won second place at the Academy's Spring Show for best campaign in the Advertising Department, she has also won prestigious acclaim in Illustration, having been published in CMYK. In addition, Christina has also won monetary scholarships for scholastic excellence. This is Christina's first ANDY award nomination.

Santiago Fernandez is a San Francisco native. He says he was looking for "a school where I could learn everything that is to learn about advertising" — and he find it right here at the Academy, in his own back yard. Santiago was hooked by the Academy, knowing that it was the place where he could learn to be his most creative, and where he could get the know-how to become a Creative Director and one day start his own agency. This is Santiago's first ANDY award nomination. "It feels unreal; it's an honor to be recognized for something I enjoy doing" he says.

Ebony Jacobs was born in San Francisco, and had always dreamed of coming back here to live. She started off her college career by studying marketing at a top school on the East Coast; Ebony soon learned, however, that the creative side of the industry was more for her. She wanted to attend one of the top schools in the country that specialized in advertising — and she soon set her sights on the Academy. I made a lot of sacrifices to come out here, but in the end I know it was definitely worth it. This school taught me more in my first semester than the whole time I would have been at another University. I know that for a fact" says the very motivated Ebony. Ever since Ebony came to the Academy, both she and the school have benefited greatly. Ebony loves working with fellow talented, driven students and she has become one of the top students in the School of Advertising. This is Ebony's first ANDY award nomination, and she is particularly excited about it. "The judges are people you dream of working with from companies you could only hope to work for, so it means a great deal that they like the way my brain works" she says.

The full roster of nominees from the Academy of Art University for the 2007 ANDY Award Student Competition is as follows: Santiago Fernandez Portugal & Ebony Jacobs with instructors Chris Ball & Mike Lee, for work done for Recaro Child Car Seats; Christina Yunckes & Adolfo Alcala with instructors Chris Ball & Mike Lee, for work done for 7-11 Stores; Adolfo Alcala & Ozan Aslan with instructors Chris Ball & Mike Lee, for work done for TiVo; Ming Yu & Masaya Asai with instructor Marguerite Lutton for work done for Neosporin.

Congratulations to all the talented nominees!