WT Communication, Business Students Score Multiple Telly Awards for Videos

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University students won 11 awards in recently announced results from the international Telly Awards .

Winning productions included a short film on the life and philanthropy of Sybil B. Harrington, which aired on regional television, and several short marketing pieces for the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business .

“Searching for Sybil,” which won a bronze in the non-broadcast general–student category, aired in April on Panhandle PBS and can be seen on Vimeo or YouTube . It explores Harrington’s long history of giving to WT, which culminated in the naming of the College for her in 1989.

“Creating this documentary was important for preserving the legacy of Mrs. Harrington, whose generous support gave us the state-of-the-art facility that bears her name,” said Dr. Jessica Mallard, dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities .. “Hearing stories from those who knew her best made us all wish we had gotten to know this amazing woman.”

“The judges for the Telly Awards are film industry professionals,” said Randy Ray, associate lecturer of media communication and director of broadcast engineering, who oversaw production of the film. “This is just more proof that WT students are some of the best in the nation.”

Students in WT’s media communication program , housed in the Department of Communication , include Bryan Abanonu, a May graduate in digital media and communication from Plainview; Gabriel Gonzales, a junior mass communication major from Amarillo; Sir’Garen Grayson, a May graduate in marketing from Dallas; Jacob Griffin, a May graduate in digital media and communication from Garden City, Kansas; Maurice Holderman, a senior digital media and communication major from Amarillo; Duncan Neus, a May graduate in digital media and communication from Lewisville; Cooper Rhodes, a senior digital media and communication major from Amarillo; Alexandra Rivera, a 2022 graduate in digital media and communication from Dimmitt; and Peyton Stokes, a senior digital media and communication major from Mesquite.

Photo: Media Minds members Justin Lovell, from left, Ali Hunter and Paul Torres film a marketing video in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

Media Minds, a student organization of the Engler College of Business, took home 10 awards for informational videos about the College’s offerings.

“I am proud of the outstanding work of our Media Minds students,” said Dr. Amjad Abdullat, dean of the Engler College of Business. “Their dedication, creativity and passion for producing high-quality videos have shown their commitment to excellence, evident by winning several Telly Awards. I commend them for their commitment to effectively communicating messages through visual media is truly commendable.”

“Welcome to Management” won a gold Telly in the non-broadcast general–educational institution category.

“Choose Your Destiny,” “What’s Your Move” and “Welcome to Management” won silver Tellys in the non-broadcast general–student category. “We Are the Future” and “Welcome to Management” won silvers in the non-broadcast general–direct marketing category. “Choose Your Destiny” won a silver in the non-broadcast general–educational institution category.

“Choose Your Destiny” and “What’s Your Move” won bronze Tellys in the non-broadcast general–direct marketing category. “Finals Are Coming” won a bronze for non-broadcast general–student category.

The Media Minds videos can be viewed here .

Media Minds team members include Paul Torres, a senior finance major from Corpus Christi; Taylor Pennington, a senior public relations/advertising/applied communications major from Canyon; Jeanine Fabbri, a senior digital communication and media major from Canadian; and Ali Hunter, a senior computer information systems major from Borger.

The videos were produced by Justin Lovell, a Canyon native and former instructor of business communications and coordinator of the media lab for the Engler College of Business.

The Telly Awards were founded in 1979 to honor excellence in local, regional and cable television commercials with non-broadcast video and television programming added soon after.

Receiving over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, Telly Award winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies and publishers from around the world

Providing a nurturing yet rigorous educational environment for learners is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Top photo:   Randy Ray, fourth from right, and Dr. Jessica Mallard, second from right, direct students for “Searching for Sybil,” a short film about Amarillo philanthropist Sybil B.  Harrington . Participating students include Maurice Holderman, from left, Gabriel Gonzales, Sir’Garen Grayson, Bryan Abanonu, Peyton Stokes and Duncan Neus.

—WT—