Campus Connection

Hleeda Vang wins Say it in 6 competition themed "my community"

How much can six words express?  

Hleeda Vang, a graduate student in the Student Affairs Administration master’s program, found a way to capture her program in just six words: “fostering identity and belonging in students.” 

Vang’s concise communication was part of the fourth-annual Say it in 6 competition hosted by UWL Graduate & Extended Learning. The event is designed to help graduate students develop visual communication skills by limiting contributions to six words and an original image. 

“The Say it in 6 competitions allows all graduate students, in-person or online, to compete,” says Ania Meier, graduate program specialist with Graduate & Extended Learning. “It’s a great opportunity since some grant or award options are only available to in-person students.”

Following the competition’s “my community” theme, Vang wanted to focus on the sense of belonging and how it relates to her and her graduate program. Vang decided to apply a concept she’s studying in her program: how college students’ sense of identity — something that students often explore in college — is crucial to their success.  

“I strongly believe that culture and diversity directly impact one's sense of identity and belonging,” Vang says. “When I think about our communities, I see that they are colorful, vibrant, and beautiful. It was important that my image displayed these elements as well as incorporated my own individual Hmong identity.”

Before crafting the six words for her submission, Vang focused on the image. After looking through her photos and not finding the inspiration she was looking for, she started to draw.  

“I grabbed some paper and markers and began drawing elements from the Hmong culture,” Vang says. “The food, the clothing, the colors, the instruments, our story of crossing the Mekong River, and dance. Eventually, I filled up the page with several Hmong elements and colors.” 

Once Vang was happy with her image, she started writing sentences, eliminating words, and finally settled on her winning title.

“After submitting and the voting period began, I looked through the entries and saw so many amazing submissions,” Vang says. “I am very grateful and honored to be selected by the judges and will put the funds to good use.” 

As the first-place winner, Vang was awarded $400. She competed alongside 46 other submissions from students spanning 12 graduate programs. 

“I’d say what made Hleeda’s submission stand out was the work that went into her image,” says Meredith Thomsen, Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. “We found her drawings interesting and engaging, and we saw a strong connection between them and the message of her entry. Furthermore, we understood the connection between her entry and her specific field of study in Student Affairs Administration.” 

Second place and People’s Choice went to Danielle Hudson, a graduate student studying biology. Hudson’s image was a compilation of photos showcasing biology students presenting to various groups, accompanied by the words “building community through outreach and advocacy.”  

“I was most eager to highlight my community’s excitement towards insect-related environmental education events,” Hudson says. She felt that using a variety of communication strategies including text, photographs, and illustrations allowed her to convey a deep message while being limited to six words. 

Entries are reviewed by a five-person committee with members who represent a diversity of perspectives on graduate education. Online voting was open to the public to determine the People’s Choice recipient. 

Check out all this years’ entries by visiting https://www.uwlax.edu/gel/graduate-education/say-it-in-6-winners/.