The Multimedia Contest, in its 1st year, invited students to create projects exploring how their educational experience is helping them reach their personal, academic, and career goals. This year's theme was "CGS Voices: The Future is Closer Than You Think." Learn more about the CGS Multimedia Contest.
1st Place
Matt Tang
Health Services & Economics
"A Sacrifice Isn't Always Needed to Achieve Success"
In order to achieve success, many have the misconception that they have to sacrifice or give up something in order to get there. Whether it's a part-time job or the responsibilities of being a parent, I argue that a sacrifice isn't always needed to achieve success through my original creative writing piece. Whether it's offering a diverse range of programs that allows students to find what they're truly passionate about or promoting flexibility through a blend of in-person, night, and online classes, CGS champions an environment where students not only succeed but thrive. By meeting students where they're at instead of encouraging them to sacrifice one aspect of their life for another, CGS champions success for both traditional and nontraditional students on their own terms.
2nd Place
Lilly Sivco
Media and Professional Communications
"Success: Fueled by CGS"
My podcast centers around my personal definition of success, which means, to me, the accomplishment of your goals and the feeling of fulfillment. Within this podcast, I outline the beneficial opportunities that I have received through CGS and how they have set me up for personal and academic success. I followed the contest's theme of "Redefining Success on My Terms" to describe how CGS has helped me pursue and achieve success while accomplishing my goals and overcoming challenges. CGS has benefitted me and set me up for success through support systems like academic advisors and focus groups, experiential learning opportunities like networking events, and online classes that create a flexible learning environment. These opportunities allow me to accomplish my goals with a powerful feeling of success while CGS helps me further my professional development. I am eternally grateful for the ability to join Pitt's CGS community while pursuing a major in Media & Professional Communications, as this college has provided me with countless opportunities and connections that allow me to accomplish my goals while fueling me for success throughout life!
3rd Place
Parker Lonesky
Media and Professional Communications & Psychology
"Supercut"
This short film is one about both perception and film itself. A meandering piece, it's meant to capture the anxiety that I had at the start of college. Slowly though, our main character starts to make connections before pulling away from them again out of fear. But his community did not let him stay there. Instead they pursued him, taught him, let him grow. This film comments on film and on perception, two things that I have learned quite well through this college. It's meant to capture, analyze, and interrogate these ideas to see what they mean and how they affect each other.
Honorable Mention
Neil (Puneet) Kumar
Public Service
"Unbreakable — The Akuti Kethri Journey"
Life as a 1st generation Indian-American is very challenging. We are overall a judgmental, disjointed, hyper-competitive, appearance-obsessed people. My new friend and recent Pitt graduate Akuti Kethri is unlike those and has been an unexpected delight. She's now in the Public Health Masters program here at Pitt. As someone older, wheelchair bound etc, she has helped me thrive at Pitt and I want to share her unique, unconventional success story.