NORTH CANTON, Ohio, May 16, 2025 – On May 8, Stark State College’s hosted its annual Spartan Media Awards, an event that shines a spotlight on student excellence, creativity and digital artistry.

Front row (from left): Melea Wicker, Zachery Jackson, Emily Zalewski
Back row (from left): Grace Sherry, Russell Bloom, Chase Taubler,
Elizabeth Turndick, Aidan Mark, Matthew Tozzi, Eliza Knop
Not pictured: Gunnar Garfield-Jackson
During the event, student work was recognized in a competition judged by professionals in their respective fields. Winning students received awards in several competencies, including graphic arts, video production, music production, photography and 3D motion. The 2025 winners include:
Photography
- Commercial photography: Zachery Jackson
- Black/White photography: Elizabeth Turndick
Computer graphic arts
- Digital illustrations: Eliza Knop
- Digital photo composites: Russell Bloom
- Traditional illustrations: Grace Sherry
- Digital page layouts: Melea Wicker
3D motion graphics
- 3D modeling: Chase Taubler
- 2D/3D animation: Emily Zalewski
Video production
- Video comedy: Gunnar Garfield-Jackson
- Video fiction short film: Zachery Jackson
- Video non-fiction short film: Emily Zalewski
Music production and engineering:
- Music original composition: Matthew Tozzi
- Music production: Aidan Mark
- Music sound design: Emily Zalewski
For more information about Stark State’s Spartan Media Awards, visit www.spartanmediaawards.com/.