Two of School of Communication advertising students, Arielle Calderon and Maria Correa, were selected by the American Advertising Federation as members of AAF’s Most Promising Minority Students Class of 2011.

They were among 50 seniors from various colleges and universities across the country chosen for the honor. To be selected, students must have stellar academic records, outstanding extra curricular achievement and career-related experience, and demonstrate superior promise for a successful career in advertising.

Calderon and Correa were honored with a trip to New York in February, where they attended a luncheon with executives from top advertising agencies and Fortune 100 companies. Their names appeared in an ad in Advertising Age and USA Today.

“I believe it is in some ways unfortunate that this award is called “minority,” because both of these students would have been winners regardless of who the competition was,” said Barry Solomon, associate in Communication and sponsor of FSU’s competitive advertising team, Arrowhead Advertising. Both Calderon and Correa were members of the 2011 team.

The AAF’s Most Promising Minority Students program connects the advertising industry with the nation’s top minority college seniors. This premier event provides opportunities to recruit fresh talent, to further prepare advertising’s best young prospects and to help the industry’s workforce better reflect the multiculturalism of today’s society. The program not only honors the students, but enhances their knowledge and understanding of the advertising industry by offering networking, interviewing and industry immersion opportunities with industry professionals.

“This is another testament to the outstanding students that we have in our school,” Solomon said, “and it again shows how competitive Florida State’s advertising program is nationally.”