The Multimedia Contest, now in its 2nd year, invites students to create projects exploring how their educational experience is helping them reach their personal, academic, and career goals. This year's theme was "Journeys That Shape Us." Learn more about the CGS Multimedia Contest.
1st Place
Megumi Barclay
Natural Sciences, Pre-PA
"Pantry to Colonoscopy: Finding My Path to GI"
My project, "Pantry to Colonoscopy: Finding My Path to GI," is a whiteboard animation video that walks through the journey of how my service as a student coordinator at the Pitt Pantry, coupled with CGS's Introduction to Human Nutrition course, steered me toward discovering the gastrointestinal field as a potential area of interest in my pursuit of becoming a physician assistant. Through animations, a voiceover, and personal images, I take you through how each checkpoint leads to the next through a chain reaction. I show how my experience at the Pitt Pantry managing volunteers, stocking shelves, and planning events has given me hands-on learning experience and service opportunities to strengthen my skills as a leader. I hope you enjoy my project!
2nd Place
Jaleya Matai
Natural Sciences
"The Courage to Reroute"
This series of haiku captures a turning point that looked small on paper but felt seismic in reality. I began at Pitt in the School of Dental Medicine pursuing dental hygiene — a path that appeared stable and guaranteed. From the outside, it made sense. Internally, it felt like shrinking. I realized I did not want to simply maintain what already existed. I wanted to rebuild, reconstruct, and restore. Transferring into CGS and pursuing Natural Sciences on a pre-dental track meant stepping away from security and confronting doubt, financial stress, and the fear of falling behind. It also meant redefining success on my own terms. CGS provided the flexibility to realign my coursework with my long-term goal of becoming a restorative dentist and future practice owner. The haiku form reflects this process: restrained, intentional, and emotionally precise. My path was not linear. Through CGS, I learned that detours are not failures. They are authorship.
3rd Place
Lilly Sivco
Media & Professional Communications, Corporate and Community Relations
"CGS: Today's Students, Tomorrow's Leaders"
My project is a podcast that centers around the theme "Becoming Who I Want to Be." The College of General Studies has shaped and transformed me into an advocate for others, a passionate student, and a leader through a variety of classes, people that I have met, and extracurricular activities. The podcast explains specific experiences within CGS that have shaped me into the person I want to become. CGS has allowed me to pursue many extracurricular activities, a flexible class schedule with online classes, and has introduced me to inspirational advisors and peers on my path to working in public relations. Working as a CGSSG Student Ambassador has been the experience at CGS that has impacted me the most. Hail 2 Pitt and Hail 2 CGS!
Honorable Mention
Lindsey Smith
Digital Media Certificate
"The Pivot"
"The Pivot" illustrates my journey to becoming a writer-designer and gaining the confidence to call myself one. When I went to college 11 years ago, I studied a subject that would guarantee me employment, even when part of me yearned to study more artistic areas. A pivotal moment in changing this was when I chose to pursue a certificate in digital media. The first half of the poem expresses how challenging it was to find the courage to return to school. The movement, color, and changing tone show my growth from a risk-averse person to someone who thinks more creatively and asks better questions. Since starting this certificate, I haven't thought about how this will help my career — yet my new skills have brought opportunities for creativity I never could have imagined. Becoming who I want to be has taken nearly 30 years, but now I am seeing the future with more hope than ever before.