AAF Buffalo named three winners of the 2023 Don Nichols Scholarship Competition, and all three are from Villa Maria College’s graphic design program. In addition to sweeping the top three spots, two more students received honorable mentions.
This year’s winners are:
1st: Grace Amborski, ‘26
2nd: Andre Smith, ‘26
3rd: Michael Blake, ‘26
Honorable Mention: Olivia Ebers, ‘24
Honorable Mention: Chris Weitz, ‘24
Amborski, Smith, and Blake won scholarships in the amounts of $600, $400, and $250, respectively.
The theme for the 2023 competition was “Information Overload.” AAF Buffalo provided contestants with the following clarifying information: “To say we are constantly distracted is an understatement. We are all the time in front of at least two or three screens – with even more going on all around us. How does one concentrate, let alone disconnect? What’s your take on all this noise, or perhaps ways to escape it? Bring to life your thoughts and opinions in any medium you choose.”
The competition was open to all Western New York undergraduates pursuing degrees in design, writing, communications, illustration, photography, or fine arts. While the submission format was up to the individual contestants all of the entries from Villa students were completed as a class project in their Typography course.
A Villa student has won first place in this competition every year since 2015. Also notable is that fact that Villa students have won first, second, and third places 6 times in the last 9 years.
Past years winners from Villa Maria College include:
2022
1st: Cameron Cooks, ‘23
2nd: Jon Barber, ‘24
3rd: Julia Gibas, ‘24
Honorable Mention: Kelsey Sikora, ‘23
Honorable Mention: Scott Ranick, ‘24
2021
1st: Henny Zack, ‘25
2nd: Zachary Huber, ’21
3rd: Hadyn Otwell, ‘23
Honorable Mention: Karion Carter, ‘22
2020
1st: Kelsey Sikora, ‘23
3rd: Zach Huber, ‘21
Honorable Mention: Colt McAndrew, ‘22
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Murtha, ‘22
To learn more about Villa Maria’s graphic design program, visit www.villa.edu/academics/graphic-design.
