UK ISC student earns Silver ADDYs at national and district levels

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 6, 2026) — Faith Pruitt, an integrated strategic communication student in the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information, earned Silver ADDY Awards at both the national and district levels for her creative work in design and packaging.

The ADDY Awards, hosted by the American Advertising Federation, are among the advertising industry’s largest competitions, honoring creative excellence at local, district and national levels.

In June, Pruitt attended the AAF’s annual conference in Austin, Texas, where she received her national award in the Publication Cover Design category.

“Winning Silver ADDYs at the national and district levels was very rewarding” Pruitt said. “I found out about the district wins from Professor Adriane Grumbein, and she was just as excited as I was, which made it even more special. I remember feeling really proud of all the work I had put in.”

Pruitt said the awards marked a turning point in how she views her own work.

“I’ve always struggled with self-doubt when it comes to my work,” Pruitt said. “I can be really hard on myself, so this experience helped me step back and realize that I don’t need to be my biggest critic all the time. It’s helped me feel more confident in what I create.”

She added that the recognition also reinforced her academic path after switching majors.

“Switching into ISC was a big decision for me. I changed my major as a junior; it was intimidating,” Pruitt said. “But this experience has reassured me that I am in the right place and that I made the right call. It also showed me that sometimes making a difficult decision can lead to opportunities you don’t expect.”

Pruitt’s award-winning work at the district level includes two projects: a book cover redesign and a candy packaging concept.

The first was a redesign of the book cover for “The Poppy War” by R.F. Kuang. The goal was to create a new cover that reflected the story visually and would grab people’s attention at a bookstore.

Her second project took a more conceptual approach.

Each student was assigned a random word from the dictionary by a professor.

“I got ‘diver’ and immediately went in an undersea direction,” Pruitt said. “I designed both the packaging and the candy around a fun underwater theme, which turned into a fun concept to work with.”

Despite her success, Pruitt said she entered the district competition with modest expectations.

“I didn’t expect my work to go very far, if I’m being honest,” Pruitt said. “Finding out it advanced to districts and then nationals was definitely a surprise, but an exciting one.”

Pruitt credited her coursework and faculty mentorship for helping shape her projects.

“My professor constantly pushed me to keep developing my ideas and not settle too early in the design process, which made a big difference,” Pruitt said. “Her guidance really helped shape both projects.”

She also emphasized the role of critique and collaboration.

“A lot of the best feedback came from our in-class critique days,” Pruitt said. “Hearing from both my professor and my classmates helped me see things differently and pushed the projects further than I could have on my own.”

Grumbein, professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Integrated Strategic Communication, praised Pruitt’s design and dedication to her class projects, highlighting the rarity of Pruitt’s Silver ADDY Award wins.

“Faith poured herself into each project in my class, pushing her skills, refining her work and challenging herself,” Grumbein said. “Winning an ADDY is something to be proud of. But winning a national ADDY is something to shout from the rooftops.”

Through the experience, Pruitt said she gained confidence in her abilities as a designer.

“The biggest takeaway for me is that I’m capable of more than I give myself credit for,” Pruitt said. “It’s also really rewarding to create something and see other people enjoy it. That’s a feeling I hope to keep chasing throughout my career.”

Pruitt said competitions like the ADDYs are valuable for students entering creative industries.

“Competitions like this are really valuable for students,” she said. “They give us a chance to see our work outside the classroom and get it in front of industry professionals. I’m grateful for professors like Professor Grumbein who encourage students to take part in opportunities like this.”

Looking ahead, Pruitt hopes the recognition will open doors for future opportunities.

“I’d love to go into something creative, whether that’s branding, design or something along those lines,” she said. “More than anything, I just want to keep growing and pushing myself creatively, wherever that leads.”

She said that one piece of advice has stayed with her throughout the process.

“‘I am not my work; I am a valuable human being,’” she said. “That mindset makes it a lot easier to take creative risks and not be so afraid of the outcome.”

Pruitt said the experience has been one of the most meaningful of her time in the program.