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Two Owens Students Win Best of Category Awards from Graphic Media Alliance

Two Owens Community College graphic design students made history as Jada Wiezorek and Ava Cook both earned Best of Category awards in the Graphic Media Alliance’s 2026 Print Excellence Awards. It’s the first best of Category wins in Visual Communication Technology program history.

Ava Cook

Jada Wiezorek

“Everleaf Magazine Cover” by Ava Cook

“Castro’s Menu” by Jada Wiezorek

Wiezorek won the Student Graphic Design sub-category for Brochures with her piece titled “Castro’s Menu.” Cook won the Magazine Covers/Spreads sub-category for her piece, “Everleaf Magazine Cover.”

“It’s a privilege to receive the award,” Wiezorek, of Gibsonburg, said. “Ultimately, if I can wake up tomorrow and have my dream life, I’d be a full-time artist. That’s why I decided to purse graphic design, get more experience. I’m blessed to have people like my art, but I wasn’t expecting this.”

Owens Visual Communication Technology (VCT) students won a total of 69 awards, with 15 Gold Awards, 17 Silver Awards and 37 Bronze Awards. The awards honor schools in Ohio, Michigan and Northern Kentucky. There were 341 student entries this year. All Gold Award winners advanced to the association-wide Best of Category competition.

Cook, a VCT student from Woodville who will graduate in spring 2027, was surprised by the award. She said creating the “Everleaf Magazine Cover” program was fun and something she was proud of.

“It builds your confidence,” Cook said of the Best of Category award. “There are days where you start doubting your work. Getting this award makes me realize that I’ve got this. I can do it.”

It’s maybe even more surprising since Cook came to Owens with no idea what she wanted to major in. A month before her first semester, she decided to try graphic design.

“I was always into art, but I came in without any idea of what I wanted to do,” Cook said. “I was going to go into nursing, but I decided not to. I like drawing, doing stuff on my computer. I was completely new to this. I did a couple of art classes, but nothing like this.”

Wierzorek was a Graphic Design Certificate student when she designed “Castro’s Menu.” She worked full-time for a year after graduating from high school before deciding to take classes at Owens.

“Why am I not trying what I really want? I’d go home and draw all day, so why not go to college and do it? That’s what led me to Owens,” Wiezorek said.

She also echoed Cook’s sentiment about the confidence boost.

“It motivates me to put myself out there more,” Wiezorek said. “Obviously not everyone is going to like it, but there’s going to be some people that might love it. It helped me grow … because this was a project that I loved, but I didn’t know if anyone else would like it.”

Carey Marten, VCT professor, said winning an award at this early stage of a student’s journey can be “incredibly impactful.”

“When you’re still learning, developing your skills and gaining knowledge in the field, it’s easy to question yourself and wonder if you’re on the right track. Receiving recognition like the Graphic Media Alliance’s Best of Category award reinforces that their hard work, creativity and dedication are making a difference,” she added.

“For these students, it’s more than just winning an award. It’s validation that they have the ability to compete at a professional level, even while they’re still learning. It builds confidence, encourages them to continue pushing their creative boundaries and motivates them to keep growing. Most importantly, it helps them recognize their own potential and see what’s possible for their future in this industry.”

Wiezorek hopes to put her talents to work as a muralist in the community while Cook will transfer to Bowling Green after graduation to compete her bachelor’s degree.