From the Nominator

“Impossible Firsts” is an impact video created to build excitement for The Campaign For PSU, a $300-million fundraising effort to support students, faculty, and programs at Portland State University. The video presents five extraordinary faculty and students who are reaching for impossible dreams, thanks to the support of PSU donors. Not only does this video serve as a model for impact storytelling, it also serves as a great example of high-quality content designed to be cross-purposed for events, emails, and social media.

From the Judges

“Impossible Firsts” quickly rose up to the top as a clear winner among the submissions in this category. We felt the questions posed were contemplative, honest, authentic, direct yet subtle, not pushy. Portland State took the words of an alum’s speech to build a strong, compelling message that supports these five “impossible firsts” and others at Portland State. The script was clear, the voices were relatable, and each first was a story we could learn from and relate to. While not a budget production, it clearly was worth the investment. “Impossible Firsts” was the most original video of the bunch–it was beautifully shot, well-executed, and presented a unique creative approach with compelling stories. Bravo for raising the bar and standard, Portland State.