The Columbus Society of Communicating Arts hosted its annual Creative Best Awards in Columbus, bringing together creatives from across Central Ohio to recognize outstanding work in design, media, illustration, and digital storytelling. Students, graduates, faculty, and staff from The Modern College of Design were honored across multiple categories for exceptional projects completed in and out of the classroom.
This year’s recognitions included:
Best of Category – Student Campaign
Mariya Dydyk, 2025 Graduate, Design Leadership
Vanicare Rebrand
Instructor: Clancy Boyer
Best of Category – Student Print
Kaylee Lade, 2025 Graduate, Design Leadership
Starting Roots
Instructor: Clancy Boyer
Award of Excellence – Student Animation & Motion Design
Josh Cross, 2025 Graduate, Design
Principles of Motion
Instructor: Kevin Passmore
Award of Excellence – Student Video
Josh Cross, 2025 Graduate, Design
Apple AirPods Pro
Instructor: Kevin Passmore
Award of Excellence – Student Environmental
Parv Nema, Current Design Leadership Student
CARDCON: Reshuffled
Instructor: Clancy Boyer
Award of Excellence – Student Interactive
Grace Gabriel, Current Design Leadership Student
SwimSmart App
Instructor: Paul Garcher, Carlos Portis
Award of Excellence – Student Greater Good
Christian Burlison, Current Design Leadership Student
REGEN Website
Instructor: Paul Garcher
Award of Excellence – Student Greater Good
Micah Hermiller, Current Design Leadership Student
Save the Bees Website
Instructor: Paul Garcher
Award of Merit – Student Photography
Issa Munoz-Chan, Current Design Leadership Student
Erica - Portrait Series
Instructor: Mark Werle
Award of Merit – Student Animation & Motion Design
Gabe Salazar, Current Design Leadership Student
The Grinch X Amazon Prime PSA
Instructor: Kevin Passmore
Award of Merit – Campaign
The Modern College of Design
The Modern's 2025 Commencement Ceremony
Award of Merit – Long-Form Video
The Modern College of Design
The Modern's 2025 Commencement Ceremony
In addition to her individual student category win, Mariya Dydyk contributed to a project during her co-op with Made by Things, one of The Modern’s employer partners, that earned both Judges’ Choice and Best of Show, two of the evening’s highest honors.
Beyond the awards themselves, the Creative Best ceremony offered a valuable opportunity for students and alumni to build connections with professionals from top design and advertising firms throughout Columbus.
“We are proud of the incredible work produced by our students, faculty, and alumni recognized at this year’s Creative Best Awards,” shared Jessica Barry, President of The Modern College of Design. “Their talent and dedication continue to reflect the strength of our creative community.”
The night was both a celebration of exceptional work and a powerful reminder of the meaningful connections and career pathways that events like Creative Best make possible.
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