MacKenzie Clarken ’18 wins prestigious national advertising scholarship

MacKenzie Clarken ’18, a strategic communications major, has been selected for the 2017 American Advertising Federation’s Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Student Internship Program.

As part of the annual initiative, approximately 20 students nationwide receive internships at media organizations, advertising agencies, and client and supplier companies around the country. The Elon junior has already accepted an internship for the upcoming summer with Pulse Point, a digital and social media-focused consultancy in Austin, Texas.

Clarken and her fellow recipients will also receive a stipend and either a scholarship or assistance with housing during their 10-week program.

According to Communications Lecturer Hal Vincent, who nominated and sponsored Clarken as part of the application process, the scholarship is likely the result of the junior’s heavy involvement in Elon’s AFF student chapter, where she has served as vice president and president. Additionally, she is an account supervisor at Live Oak Communications, Elon’s student-run strategic communications agency.

The honor is one of several accolades the strategic communications major has received this academic year. In the fall, she was presented with the Triangle Advertising Federation’s 2016 Robert F. Lauterborn Scholarship, recognizing her as the region’s top undergraduate advertising student. And last week, she earned the School of Communications’ 2017 A.J. Fletcher award, presented to a student who demonstrates a wide-ranging interest in their field, service to the community and leadership in campus or his/her personal life.

​“It’s not really surprising that MacKenize has been selected among the top 20 applicants in the nation considering all that she has already accomplished in her time at Elon,” said Vincent, who serves as AAF-Triangle’s education chair and faculty director of Live Oak. “It is just amazing at Elon to have the opportunity to mentor bright future leaders like MacKenize outside of traditional classroom environments.” 

Clarken added, “I am extremely grateful to participate in the AAF Stickell Internship Program, as this opportunity speaks to my professional aspirations. It is through my involvement in Elon’s American Advertising Federation and Live Oak Communications that has positioned me to receive this scholarship. And I cannot thank Elon and the people who have helped me get where I am today enough for their encouragement, assistance and mentorship.”

Stickell Internship Program

Established in 1989 by the Los Angeles Times and the American Advertising Federation, the program aims to raise awareness and understanding of advertising processes and business ethics among future advertising professionals by providing real-world, hands-on experience at top firms in the integrated marketing communication industry. The program’s permanent endowment moved to The University of Texas at Austin in 2003, with the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations overseeing its stewardship. The program is named in honor of Vance L. Stickell, former executive vice president of marketing for the Los Angeles Times, and his wife, Betty Lee.