LA PLATA, Md. — Ten College of Southern Maryland (CSM) digital media production students earned top honors and over $6,200 in scholarships for their public service announcements (PSAs) aimed at curbing vehicle theft in Maryland. The awards were presented at an April 3, 2025, ceremony at CSM’s La Plata Campus, recognizing the students’ creative efforts in the 2024 Maryland State PSA Competition, sponsored by the Maryland State Police, the Maryland/D.C. Anti-Car Theft Committee, and the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council.
The winning PSAs, which will be broadcast across Maryland to raise awareness about auto theft—a crime occurring every 22 minutes in the state—highlight practical prevention tips, such as not leaving keys or valuables in vehicles. The competition, open to both community colleges and four-year institutions, showcased CSM’s ability to compete with larger universities. The students, mentored by Digital Media Production Professor Olaniyi Areke, produced four audio PSAs and four video PSAs, with two students, Campbell Earhart and Jada Cousins, placing in both categories.
“This is the ninth year that CSM has participated in this competition,” Areke said at the award ceremony. “We were the first community college to be included, and we’ve continued to hold our own against four-year universities ever since.”
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson praised the students’ achievements, emphasizing their real-world impact. “This day is all about you and celebrating you and your work,” Wilson told the students. “You’ve clearly demonstrated the skills and competencies that you learned through your coursework, and now it’s on full display. We couldn’t be more proud of you.”
Areke echoed her sentiments, adding, “You’re so creative; I’m so proud of you.”
In the audio PSA category, individual winners were Campbell Earhart, Jada Cousins, Michael Couch, and Veronica Walton. The video PSA category recognized four teams: Earhart and Nicholas Wyandt, Carrico Vela and Brooke-Lynne Glover, Cousins and Christopher Bowen, and Sophia Ringling and Thomas Hall. The PSAs, produced as part of CSM’s Digital Media Production 1010 course, will air on social media, WBAL-TV, and the websites of the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and Maryland State Police, amplifying their reach.
Vehicle theft remains a significant issue in Maryland, with the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council reporting a car stolen every 47 minutes statewide in 2023, often due to unlocked vehicles or keys left inside.The council, established in 1994 by the Maryland General Assembly, has reduced vehicle theft rates by over 58% through public awareness campaigns and partnerships like this competition.
Since 2016, CSM’s digital media students have consistently excelled in this contest, which began with Towson University and expanded to include CSM as the only community college participant. The competition provides students with professional experience, as their PSAs address real-world issues like auto theft, which can lead to other crimes such as carjackings. The Maryland State Police note that up to 50% of vehicle thefts involve keys left in cars, a key message in the students’ work.
The winning videos are available online: Carrico Vela and Brooke-Lynne Glover , Campbell Earhart and Nicholas Wyandt , Jada Cousins and Christopher Bowen, and Sophia Ringling and Thomas Hall. For more details, visit https://mdsp.maryland.gov/Organization/Pages/OfficeoftheSuperintendent/PSAContest.aspx.
The success of CSM’s students underscores the value of hands-on learning in digital media production, preparing them for careers while contributing to community safety. The college’s ongoing participation in the PSA competition continues to build its reputation as a leader in media education among Maryland’s community colleges.
