Cherlyn Rebultan Receives National Recognition
By: Elizabeth Proffitt
Graphic Design major, Cherlyn Rebultan, will be recognized as a national medalist at the American Advertising Federation's awards show and gala, ADMERICA, in Chicago on June 8 for the design work that first won gold in the AAF's Hampton Roads local competition.
The Addy Awards is a three tier competition, with the first tier primarily comprised of local entries, the second tier allows local ADDY winners compete against winners from other local clubs in any of the 15 district competitions, and then the third tier is the national competition. Rebultan will be recognized as a national medalist selected by a professional panel from the winners of the district competitions.
While her talent impressed both local and district judges, she was very humble in regards to the honor. "Honestly, I never thought I would win in any competition at all. I've avoided entering before because I always thought that I was not good enough," Rebultan said.
However, Rebultan learned throughout the process that the competitive atmosphere is not only rewarding with recognition of her work, but through the confidence she's gained and the validation she's received about her talent.
"Everyone who knows me would say that I am shy and soft spoken, but ever since I started entering competitions and attending conferences, regardless of whether I win or lose, I still gained some confidence in the whole experience," Rebultan said.
Assistant professor David Shields, who oversaw Rebultan's work on this project, was excited but not surprised to see such an industrious student thrive in this competition, as she has had success in competitions before, but also because of her hardworking, creative nature.
"She's a great student. She's hitting all the marks we've been trying to encourage in the program. She's not just talented, but very diligent, focused and grounded in good academic skills, all of which contribute to her ability as a researcher who can put together the sort of project brief great creative is built upon. In short, Cherlyn brings an unusually mature creative process to what she does," Shields said.
Shields also asserts that Rebultan understands what she needs to do to work and thrive in the industry she's diving into. "Traditionally, the program has been a fairly local, East Coast endeavor in terms of the student's paths coming out of the program. I think she has the right idea, she wants to get out there, see the field, and go where the work best suits her aspirations."
While Rebultan is highly talented in her own right, she credits her professors with creating a challenging environment that pushes her and other students to excel and prepares her for what the real world of design will bring. "Every class was hard and intense, but they helped us every step of the way. So I feel grateful because they always guide and push us to do our best," Rebultan said.
For this particular competition, Rebultan submitted work designed for a speculative project for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. She hopes to work with more nonprofits in the future because of the impact she could have through her design prowess.
"I always love doing a project for nonprofits or charities because it makes my job and my design more meaningful. I love the feeling of being involved in these organizations by using design to contribute something to them by helping communicate and get their message or mission across many people," Rebultan said.
She believes that good design can inspire action, especially with organizations like the Foodbank, "I believe that design can be a powerful instrument for change. This medium can send powerful messages that can help advocate or raise awareness about an important issue, which can convince many people to support and help make a difference in the community," Rebultan said.
Rebultan's experience with this particular competition left her feeling even better about her craft and her ability to move forward with her artistic journey. "I would say that winning in this competition has given me the value of unquestioned faith in my abilities," Rebultan said.
As the competition in Chicago draws closer, Rebultan is thrilled to say the least. "I am really excited! Even if I don't know which award I will receive from them yet, I already feel honored and grateful just for being given the chance to attend such a prestigious event," Rebultan said.
Rebultan hopes this experience will be just as rewarding as her past experience when she and her classmates attended the National Student Show and Conference in Dallas, Texas. "I am hoping I will also be able to meet a lot of people who share the same passion as me. I'm looking forward to seeing their work and hearing about what inspires their award-winning pieces. These type of events help me stay inspired and motivated to keep learning and moving towards my goals."