Centennial sweeps student awards at CPRS Toronto for second year in a row

Centennial students won big at the annual CPRS Toronto ACE Awards, sweeping the Student Campaign of the Year category and winning CPRS Toronto Student of the Year, both for the second year in a row.

Amanda Paterson from the Class of 2014 won Student of the Year.  Not only did a Centennial student win in 2013, but it was the third time in four years a CC&PR student received the honour.  Amanda joins her colleague Megan Henry who recently was named IABC Toronto Student of the Year as among the top PR students in the GTA.

In the Student Campaign of the Year category, Centennial students won two Gold ACE Awards and one Bronze.  Gold went to “#CANit2013” – a special event held in support of Dixon Hall.  “Spotlight: Horizons” won the other Gold for an event that supported Horizons for Youth.  Both projects greatly exceeded their set objectives in fundraising and awareness, and received rave reviews from their respective charities and attendees.  Completing the award sweep was “Phony Party” — an event for Kids Help Phone that won a Bronze ACE Award.

The three ACE awards join a previously announced international Gold Quill Award awarded to Centennial College’s The Big Race, a collaboration project between students in the Corporate Communications & Public Relations and Broadcasting & Film programs at the Story Arts Centre.

The awards reflect the outstanding quality of Centennial’s Corporate Communications & Public Relations program, which is also reflected in the recent Key Performance Indicators released by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges & University.  Centennial scored well above the average for comparable post-graduate public relations program in Ontario, including Overall Program Quality (96% for Centennial CC&PR vs. 70% average for post-grad programs), Writing Skills (88% vs. 71%), Teacher’s Presentation of Material (84% vs. 60%), Quality of Field Placements (80% vs 57%) and Overall College Experience (92% vs 69%).

Amanda Paterson accepting CPRS Toronto Student of the Year Award.

Zerina Derveni accepts Gold ACE Award for #CANit2013.

Jessica Strople accepts ACE Award on behalf of Phony Party Team.

Amanda Paterson, CPRS Toronto Student of the Year.

The #CANit2013 Team with Barry Waite.

Amanda Paterson with CC&PR Coordinator Barry Waite.

The #CANit2013 Team.

The Pony Party Team.

At the ACE Awards.

The Spotlight: Horizons team with faculty Jentzen Brown (l) and Barry Waite (r).

Team Centennial at the ACE Awards.

The Spotlight: Horizons Team.