April 1, 2025
University of Missouri School of Journalism senior Piper Molins has been named one of the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Top 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students. She will travel to New York City for a week-long professional development seminar featuring a student pitch competition, agency visits and networking with top advertisers, media companies and agencies.
“It’s truly incredible to be part of a legacy, specifically of really truly amazing women of color who have secured this award and represented the University of Missouri,” Molins said. “The past winners of this award are absolutely incredible representatives of this school and this profession.”
Strategic communication students are consistently selected by the AAF Most Promising Student Multicultural program, in part because of the school’s Missouri Method — a hands-on, real-world approach to learning that prepares students to excel nationally.
“Our strategic communication students’ consistent recognition by the AAF demonstrates why Missouri School of Journalism graduates are in demand in the industry,” the school’s dean, David Kurpius, said. “Piper’s well-deserved national recognition reflects highly on her hard work and on her embrace of the Missouri Method of immersive, hands-on education.”
The AAF Multicultural Program honors students who excel in storytelling that connects with diverse audiences. For Molins, that storytelling is powered by data and research.
“Data is an important part of how we can connect with diverse audiences,” Molins said. “I’m interested in using the power of data and others’ lived experiences to create things that connect emotionally with others.”
Molins is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). She credits the peer-mentorship and community there as a key part in her growth at Mizzou. She was personally encouraged to apply for the AAF award by Ryan Wilson, last year’s honoree, who mentored her through the process.
“I don’t think our mentors necessarily have to be older than us, I think they just have to be smarter than us,” Molins said. “I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by peers who are fascinating, talented and inspiring. I can’t even overstate the importance of NAHJ to me. It’s been one of the most important communities I’ve ever been part of.”
Beyond coursework, Molins expanded her expertise through the Gregory Scholars program, a paid research opportunity open to undergraduate and master’s students from any discipline. Her first major research project involved editing a scholarly paper on augmented reality in health care and social media, which had gone through multiple rounds of revisions for publication in the Journal of International Advertising.
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