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Senior Wins American Advertising Federation Scholarship

Cecilia Zheng Receives $1,000 Scholarship from the St. Louis AAF Chapter for Academic Achievements and Excellence

By Patrick LeBeau

Columbia, Mo. (Feb. 10, 2016) — Missouri School of Journalism senior Cecilia (Congrong) Zheng was awarded a $1,000 scholarship award from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) St. Louis chapter for the 2015-16 school year.

Cecelia (Congrong) Zheng
Cecelia (Congrong) Zheng

The merit-based scholarship was awarded to Zheng for her commitment to academic excellence, involvement with industry-related activities, extracurricular activities and community outreach as a School of Journalism student.

“I was super excited when I found out that I had won this scholarship,” Zheng said.

Zheng was recognized for her achievements at the organization’s November awards ceremony in St. Louis. She had the opportunity to meet the AAF St. Louis board of directors as well as members of the St. Louis advertising community while at the banquet.

The entirety of the scholarship is being applied to the current spring 2016 semester. Zheng serves as a peer advisor for the University of Missouri Department of Residential Life. She is a researcher for MOJO Ad, a student-staffed professional advertising agency for strategic communication students. MOJO Ad specializes in the Youth And Young Adult (YAYA) market.

As a researcher, Zheng is responsible for conducting all primary quantitative research and secondary research analytics. This includes industry consumer and marketing trends, and sharing that information with her team. She enjoys her research role in MOJO Ad and is grateful for the practical skills and lessons she has quickly learned from her position.

“My teammates and the faculty in MOJO Ad inspire me every day to take on the challenge,” Zheng said.

AAF has an affiliated student chapter on MU’s campus called AAF Mizzou. Its purpose is to recognize professionalism in the fields of advertising and public relations in order to aid its members in the pursuit of their career goals. AAF Mizzou boasts nearly 120 active members and organizes a variety of educational and networking opportunities each semester to further promote student success in advertising endeavors. Assistant Professor Holly Higginbotham advises the student group.

Following her graduation this coming May, Zheng hopes to find a job as an account planner at an advertising agency in a large urban city. She plans to attend the International Communication Association conference in Japan later this summer. A project she developed with Paul Bolls, the professor of her graduate seminar, will be presented there.

Updated: September 15, 2020

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