SOUTH WHITLEY — Students in grades four through 12 who live in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio were invited to participate in the 2016 Fort Wayne Newspapers Design an Ad Contest.

Design an Ad links Fort Wayne-area students with the business world. Three hand-drawn student ads are chosen from each participating business. From those ads, winners are chosen by local advertising professionals in three categories: Grades 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. Winners at each level are awarded prizes and winning ads will be published in May. The Design an Ad program allows students to learn more about the many businesses that make up the local community, create an ad and possibly see it published, exercise creative and design skills with an eye toward composition, following directions and project completion.

Nearly 3,000 students from 43 schools challenged themselves by creating ads designed to sell today’s top products and services.

Of 48 total students, 24 Whitko High School art students received advertisers choice finalist in the high school level, totaling half of the 48 business ads submitted. Thirteen of these students were picked for honorable mention, first place of the individual business awards. One Whitko High School art student received third place of best overall.

For the Advertiser’s Choice awards, advertising professionals chose their favorite hand-drawn ads (one per age category and these will publish in a special feature on May 11th, 2016.

• Maren Lehman, sophomore
• Casey Dierks, senior
• Emilee Staab, junior
• Kelsie Castle, junior
• Maddy Foutz, junior
• Shawnee Long, senior
• Amanda Zinsmeister, junior
• Cayla Slone, sophomore
• Gage McDonald, sophomore
• Kyle Herr, junior
• Morgan Keirn, junior
• Yetake Im, junior
• Austin Nettrouer, junior
• Delaney Keirn, junior
• Holly Obregon, junior
• Lauren Riemersma, junior
• Quinn Craig, sophomore
• Zoe Goggin, freshman
• Avaree Freel, senior
• Devin Blaine, freshman
• Jake Rothgeb, junior
• Maddy Cook, junior
• Shianna Bradley, freshman
• Kaitlin Frank, freshman

Honorable mention recipients included first-place advertisements, one per advertiser, determined by advertising professionals from among Advertiser’s Choice Awards. Honorable mention winners were as follows:

• Maren Lehman, Indiana Physical Therapy Ad
• Maddy Foutz, Maumee Paint and Supply Ad
• Shawnee Long, Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control Ad
• Kyle Herr, Sweet Aviation Ad
• Morgan Keirn, Stars Chimney Service Ad
• Yetaek Im, Shaver Motors Ad
• Austin Nettrouer, Ruble Truck Sales Ad
• Holly Obregon, Sweet Cars Ad
• Lauren Riemersma, Ivy Tech Ad
• Zoe Goggin, Mynett Music Ad
• Devin Blaine, Oak Tree Ad
• Shianna Bradley, Summit Equestrian Center Ad
• Kaitlin Frank, A Party Apart Ad

Overall contest winner were determined by advertising professionals for best overall ads. First, second and third places were awarded per age category:

• Zoe Goggin, IPad MiniPrize