April 1, 2025
University of Missouri School of Journalism senior Piper Molins has been named one of the American Advertising Federation鈥檚 (AAF) Top 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students. She will travel to New York City for a week-long professional development seminar featuring a student pitch competition, agency visits and networking with top advertisers, media companies and agencies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 truly incredible to be part of a legacy, specifically of really truly amazing women of color who have secured this award and represented the University of Missouri,鈥� Molins said. 鈥淭he past winners of this award are absolutely incredible representatives of this school and this profession.鈥�
Strategic communication students are consistently selected by the AAF Most Promising Student Multicultural program, in part because of the school鈥檚 Missouri Method 鈥� a hands-on, real-world approach to learning that prepares students to excel nationally.
鈥淥ur strategic communication students鈥� consistent recognition by the AAF demonstrates why Missouri School of Journalism graduates are in demand in the industry,鈥� the school鈥檚 dean, David Kurpius, said. 鈥淧iper鈥檚 well-deserved national recognition reflects highly on her hard work and on her embrace of the Missouri Method of immersive, hands-on education.鈥�
The AAF Multicultural Program honors students who excel in storytelling that connects with diverse audiences. For Molins, that storytelling is powered by data and research.
鈥淒ata is an important part of how we can connect with diverse audiences,鈥� Molins said. 鈥淚鈥檓 interested in using the power of data and others鈥� lived experiences to create things that connect emotionally with others.鈥�
Molins is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). She credits the peer-mentorship and community there as a key part in her growth at 黑料专区. She was personally encouraged to apply for the AAF award by Ryan Wilson, last year鈥檚 honoree, who mentored her through the process.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think our mentors necessarily have to be older than us, I think they just have to be smarter than us,鈥� Molins said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been so lucky to be surrounded by peers who are fascinating, talented and inspiring. I can鈥檛 even overstate the importance of NAHJ to me. It鈥檚 been one of the most important communities I鈥檝e ever been part of.鈥�
Beyond coursework, Molins expanded her expertise through the Gregory Scholars program, a paid research opportunity open to undergraduate and master鈥檚 students from any discipline. Her first major research project involved editing a scholarly paper on augmented reality in health care and social media, which had gone through multiple rounds of revisions for publication in the Journal of International Advertising.
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