Virginia Tech students from the School of Visual Arts, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, received 19 gold and 23 silver Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley (AD FED) Student ADDY awards — including the Best in Show and Student Judges Choice Awards — and 13 District Student ADDYs.

AD FED is an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation.

Best of Show Winner



  • Sarah Lynch-Walker of Virginia Beach, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her Piaggio ad won gold and Best in Show Roanoke Valley awards and a silver District award.

Student Judges Choice Award Winner



  • Helen Li of Falls Church, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her Ribitobitz 2008 Annual Report won a Student Judges Choice and gold Roanoke Valley awards, as well as a silver District award. This is a fictional toy company's annual report. It mimics a picture book, which follows the journey of toy characters, while also telling the history of the company.

Gold Award Winners



  • Allison Bhatta of Midlothian, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her ads for Cutter’s Ultralight Bug Spray and Netflix won gold Roanoke Valley awards. Her Netflix project also won a silver District award.
  • Allison Bhatta; Sara Spangler of Raleigh, N.C., a senior visual communication design and communication double major; and Ashley Shoemaker of Winchester, Va., a senior visual communication design major, won a gold Roanoke Valley award for their Books-A-Million advertising campaign.
  • Aimee Drysdale of Roanoke, Va., graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual communications design and is now working in Roanoke at The Becher Agency, a public relations and advertising firm. Her Website Portfolio entry won a gold Roanoke Valley award and a silver District award.
  • Rick Holbrook of Blairs, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. He won a gold Roanoke Valley award for his Night Train Nikon ad.
  • Helen Li of Falls Church, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her Designer Apple Boxes won a gold Roanoke Valley award for packaging.
  • Sarah Lynch-Walker of Virginia Beach, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her 3M Cord Bundlers ad won a gold Roanoke Valley award.
  • Kim Nguyen of Clifton, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. She won a gold Roanoke Valley award for her Blind Tiger Energy Drinks project.
  • Mike Payne of Manassas, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. His Russian Cultures Festival Poster won a gold Roanoke Valley award.
  • Alyssa Peltier of Clifton, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. She won gold Roanoke Valley awards for her Besa Wine illustration, Urban Farmer Accordian Fold Annual Report, and Vespa tax incentive direct mailer projects. Her Urban Farmer and Vespa projects also won gold District awards.
  • Katie Rotanz of Salem, Va., is a junior visual communication design major. She won a gold District award for her Zi Wine Bottle packaging project.
  • Samantha Sanders of Fairfax, Va., is a junior visual communication design major. Her Baconnaise ad won a gold Roanoke Valley award. Her Wii Ad Campaign won a gold Roanoke Valley award and a gold District award.
  • Michael Walsh of Yorktown, Va., is a junior visual communication design major. He won a gold Roanoke Valley award and a gold District award for his Holiday Self-Promotional Mailer.

Silver Award Winners



  • Kristin Claeys of Sterling, Va., is a senior studio art and visual communication design major. She won a silver Roanoke Valley award and a silver District award for her dc3 Records Timeline fold-out annual report.
  • Joe Czekner of Fairfield, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. His Portfolio Website (http://www.joeczekner.com) and Nowhere and Back Wine Packaging projects won silver Roanoke Valley awards.
  • Aimee Drysdale of Roanoke, Va., graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual communications design and is now working in Roanoke at The Becher Agency, a public relations and advertising firm. Her Self Promotion and Traveloo Annual Report entries won silver Roanoke Valley awards. Her Self Promotion project also won a gold District award.
  • Rick Holbrook of Blairs, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. He won a silver Roanoke Valley award and a silver District award for his Business Card project.
  • Helen Li of Falls Church, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her Ribitobitz Logo won a silver Roanoke Valley award.
  • Sarah Lynch-Walker of Virginia Beach, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. Her Lynch-Walker Wines Sales Promotion Packaging project won a silver Roanoke Valley award.
  • Jon Newman of Annandale, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. His National Mime Convention, Maproom Wine Bar, and website projects won silver Roanoke Valley awards.
  • Kim Nguyen of Clifton, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. She won a silver Roanoke Valley award.
  • Kara Noble of Richmond, Va., is a junior visual communication design major. She won a silver Roanoke Valley award for Wii Fit ad.
  • Alyssa Peltier, of Clifton, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. She won silver Roanoke Valley awards for her Ten Energy Packaging and Besa Wine packaging projects.
  • Katie Rotanz of Salem, Va., is a junior visual communication design major. She won a silver Roanoke Valley award for a design based off her family’s heritage from Ticino, Switzerland, and her family’s crest.
  • Ashley Shoemaker of Winchester, Va., is a senior visual communication design major. She won a silver Roanoke Valley award for her M Street Wine Packaging project.
  • Malcolm Simmon of Manassas, Va., is a senior year visual communication design major. He won silver Roanoke Valley awards for his Cutter Bug Spray ad and Genius Baby Spread ad.
  • Lara Treadwell of Glen Allen, Va., is a senior double major in visual communication design and French. She won silver Roanoke Valley awards for her E Energy Drink Packaging Design and Metro Photography projects, as well as a gold District award for her E Energy Drink project.
  • Kyle Waldrop of Glen Allen, Va., is a junior art (fine arts) major. He won a silver Roanoke Valley award.
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