UAH art student Marina Gibson's winning NCDA poster submission.

Laura Taylor

Four students from The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Department of Art, Art History and Design are national winners of the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) 53rd Annual Poetry and Poster Contest.

This year’s national winners are Marina Gibson, Emma Kratt, Allissa Allen, and Jacqueline Pichette. All posters are on display June 27-29, at the NCDA Global Conference in Houston, TX.

The UAH Office of Career Services with Keith Jones’ graphic design class coordinated the event. Jones is an Associate Professor of Art, Graphic Design and Photography in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. All UAH students are encouraged to participate in the annual competition. The theme of this year’s contest was "Using Careers to Break Barriers, Empower Lives & Achieve Equity." Students were challenged to create artwork that embodies what the theme means to them.

All four students earned top honors in the regional contest last fall. Marina, Emma, and Allissa won first, second, and third place, respectively, in the mixed media group (use of photos, clip art, graphic art software, collage, cut and pasted paper, and mixed media), while Jacqueline won first place in the hand-illustration category (Standard use of ink, pencil, poster paints, magic marker, acrylics, and oils).

The NCDA provides professional development, publications, standards, and advocacy to practitioners and educators who inspire and empower people to meet their career and life goals.