When Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh put out the call for a fresh, standout design for their Walk for Housing t-shirt, Mount Saint Mary College (MSMC) students stepped up in a big way.
Issiah Figueroa, a Cybersecurity major from Newburgh, took the top spot with a bold, creative design that will be featured on official event shirts for this year’s walk, happening Sunday, April 27 at 2pm. Brooke Mulqueen of Montgomery earned runner-up honors with her own impressive submission.
This year’s walk, themed “Building Tomorrow Starts at Home,” will kick off and wrap up right at Mount Saint Mary College. The 2.5-mile route offers a walking tour of Habitat Newburgh’s homes—both those already built and some still in progress. Aside from building greater visibility for Habitat Newburgh's work and celebrating our long-standing relationship with MSMC, this event helps us bring in crucial funds to support our seven in-progress builds. You can snag this year's exclusive shirt by donating $20+ to the Walk for Housing.
For Figueroa, jumping into the design contest was a no-brainer.
“Before I came to Mount Saint Mary, I did a lot of graphic design work for the community,” he said. “This was just another way I could help. I like doing stuff to support the City of Newburgh.”
And he’s no stranger to t-shirt design—Figueroa’s been screen-printing his own for years!
Mulqueen, who switched her major to Graphic Design during her junior year, was thrilled to be recognized as runner-up.
“I worked really hard on my design and I was really happy with how it turned out,” she said. “I’ve never won anything before, so this meant a lot.”
She credited Professor Chris Neyen, Chair of the Division of Communication, Art, and Digital Media (CADM), for helping her make the leap into graphic design. “I’m so glad he helped me take the major I really wanted,” she said.
Be part of something powerful. Walk alongside neighbors, students, and supporters as we raise funds—and hope—for safe, affordable housing in Newburgh. Register here: https://www.giveffect.com/campaigns/36892-walk-for-housing-2025
