Communications Staff Win Three Awards from Media Women of SC
Four Converse Communications and Marketing staff members and three students have earned top honors in three categories of the 2025 Media Women of South Carolina (MWSC) Communications Contest. The contest, sponsored by the state affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), encourages and rewards excellence in communication.
First-place award winners at the state level have now moved on to the national contest for judging. National winners will be recognized at the NFPW annual conference in Golden, CO, in September of 2025. Contest organizers expect nearly 2,000 entries.
Converse’s first-place projects in the South Carolina contest include the Fall 2024 Converse Magazine mailer (editing for print – newsletter), a successful sports-themed social media campaign, and a compilation of university communications regarding Hurricane Helene (crisis communications).
Advancement Marketing Manager Lindsay Bartholomew submitted the Fall 2024 Converse Magazine mailer, which featured several stories related to campus recovery from Hurricane Helene. The state judge praised the piece’s message of resiliency and growth as conveyed through writing, photography and design. “The spirit of the campus is so apparent in this issue, which not only pulls the reader into the work, but creates a feeling of reassurance that not only will the community overcome challenges, but be all the better in the aftermath,” the judge shared.
Community Engagement Coordinator Allison Reini, along with Converse students Sofiya Gobora ’25, Brooke Haazer ’25, and Luciana Ugalde Garcia ’27, entered a social media series featuring President Boone Hopkins trying out various sports on campus and training with our athletes. This “brilliant” campaign caught the attention of the state judge. “Humor is always a winner, but kudos for doing it in a way that would be appealing to ALL demographics and also show off the spirit of the university and good-nature of leadership,” she said of the series.
“Humor is always a winner, but kudos for doing it in a way that would be appealing to ALL demographics and also show off the spirit of the university and good-nature of leadership.”
Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications Karen Brower Rhodes and Director of Website Strategy and Digital Content Deb Peluso submitted a compilation of crisis communications initiatives from the university’s response to the impact of Hurricane Helene, ranging from immediate safety-focused updates to campus support and compassionate responses. “No doubt, this is the most important of all communication efforts – one centered on safety and expedient execution and responses, the judge said. “Kudos for your work, which leveraged multiple channels (to meet your audience where they are), and for being so clear and intentional in your communication to achieve the desired response.”
This is not Converse’s first time receiving honors from MWSC. Last year, the Communications Department had three awards at the national level, two second-place entries, and an advertisement that took first place in the nation.