The Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication (CHMC) student team received an Honorable Mention for their submission to the Hispanic Marketing Council’s (HMC) 2026 Strategic Excellence Student Award Competition. The team was composed of Jenny Cen, Isabella Nisi, Juliana Ribera, Bianca Barberi, and Valeria Marquez. 

The HMC’s prestigious national competition challenges the next generation of multicultural marketing and advertising leaders. The competition tasks university students with developing a fully realized communications campaign in response to a real-world social impact brief. The campaign includes conducting primary and secondary research, defining a target audience, crafting a strategic communication approach, and presenting creative executions, all grounded in data and cultural insights.  

FSU team’s campaign idea was born from something deeply personal and profoundly universal: encouraging multicultural adults ages 25 to 45 without a high school diploma to take their first step toward completing their high school education.  

“Through our primary research, a cross-sectional quantitative study, we discovered that the biggest barrier to returning to school was not a lack of resources, but a lack of motivation to take action,” said Jenny Cen, team lead of the group and senior graduate with a certificate in Multicultural Marketing Communication. “Fear and self-doubt accounted for 31% of reported barriers, followed closely by being uninformed about available options and limited time. Our secondary research confirmed a powerful insight: adults are far more likely to act when they believe their decisions will impact the people they love, particularly their children.” 

Building on that finding, the team developed the campaign tagline, “They’re looking up to you; take the first step.” This powerful message reframes higher education as not only a personal achievement but also an opportunity to inspire the next generation and encourage parents to overcome self-doubt by recognizing the example they set for their children. 

Isabella Nisi, responsible for developing the creative concept for the campaign, shared the most rewarding part of the process, which took inspiration from her own family.  

“My mom completed her diploma as an adult, after having to leave school due to marriage and the responsibilities of raising my older sister. Her motivation to return came from a friend who had gone through a similar experience and encouraged her to take advantage of the opportunity,” said Nisi. “That experience reminded me that marketing is about much more than promoting a product or service. At its best, it helps people see themselves in a story, recognize new possibilities, and connect with resources that can improve their lives.” 

As the Director of the CHMC, Dr. Sindy Chapa reflects the significance of this honorable mention for the FSU team and the center itself. 

“We are incredibly proud of our students for receiving an Honorable Mention in the Hispanic Marketing Council’s Strategic Excellence Student Award Competition,” said Dr. Chapa. “This was our first time participating in this prestigious competition, making this recognition especially meaningful. It marks an important milestone in our growing partnership with the Hispanic Marketing Council and reflects our Center’s commitment to preparing the next generation of multicultural marketing professionals. Most importantly, it is a testament to our students’ dedication, creativity, and passion for understanding and serving the U.S. Hispanic market.” 

The Honorable Mention recognizes not only the team’s creativity and strategic thinking, but also the CHMC’s commitment to preparing future multicultural marketing leaders. By combining research, cultural insight, and purpose-driven storytelling, the students demonstrated how marketing can inspire action and create meaningful impact for the communities it serves.