By AFRO Staff
When Peter Iwuh walks across the graduation stage, May 21, at Morgan State University, he will take with him more than a handshake and a degree. The Strategic Communication major from Hyattsville leaves Morgan as a national award winner.
PRNEWS, the leading source and trusted voice within the communications and marketing community named Iwuh ‘HBCU Student of the Year’ at the PRNEWS Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity Awards competition held April 20, at the Ritz Carlton in Arlington, Virginia.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to be the HBCU Student of the Year,” said Iwuh. “It’s great to be nationally recognized for my work in the communications industry. I have always been passionate about helping organizations achieve their growth goals. Winning this award lets me know I’m heading in the right direction.”
The Social Impact Awards honor communicators who use their platforms to better their community and the global society at large. Recipients of this recognition include the campaigns, initiatives, professionals, teams, rising stars, and lifetime pioneers that are helping to usher in a diverse, equitable future and redefine organizations’ role in the fight for global change. The HBCU Student of The Year award is one of approximately 40 social impact honors PRNEWS awards each year.
“We are very proud of Peter, who has been a standout student throughout his career in the School of Global Journalism & Communication,” said Jacqueline Jones, dean for Morgan’s School of Global Journalism & Communication. “We are dedicated to equipping our students with the tools they need to make an impact in the professions. This win is part of the overall story of the rich academic talent you will find in our school.”
At 20, Iwuh has an impressive track record of accomplishments. He is the CEO, and Founder of Gen-Z-led creative marketing agency, Tykoon. He started the business in 2018 because he couldn’t land any internships when he graduated high school. Now the company boasts an impressive list of clients and offers a range of services including creative services, promotional campaigns, commercials, and social media content.
He is giving back by using his platform to open doors of opportunity for other young people to start their careers.
“As the first person in my family to graduate from college, it’s important to set the best example I can for people younger than me,” said Iwuh. “I want people to be inspired to not only succeed academically or socially but also seek to make a significant impact in their environment, no matter the industry.”
The journey for Iwuh has not always been easy. In the spring semester, he struggled to balance his business and being a full-time student. In addition to that he successfully completed two internships while still managing to excel at everything else.
Along his college career, he held several marketing and PR positions at major organizations. He was the College Marketing Representative for Sony Music Entertainment in Baltimore. Facebook tapped him to be an HBCU News Fellow at Cleveland.com. His other posts included working as a public relations intern at Turner PR and a Social Media Intern at Solve advertising agency in Minneapolis.
Iwuh credits a lot of his success to Morgan.
“My experience was great. It was the first place I expanded my business. Many students, professors, and alum were interested in working with my company in various ways, and our credibility grew,” said Iwuh. “I grew at both professionally and academically. I’m very grateful to Morgan.”
With so much having been accomplished, Iwuh said he is not done. After graduation, he’s headed to Los Angeles for the HBCU in LA summer program interning with Disney in the Talent Acquisition Marketing department.
“My dream job is to run a marketing agency and work with Fortune 500 companies on prominent marketing campaigns, said Iwuh. “I can clearly see the future and see myself there right now. I just have to keep working hard to get there.”
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