Rochester Hills, MICHIGAN, Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rochester Christian University’s new state-of-the-art digital marketing lab will be named The Click, presented by Chief Financial Credit Union.
Tom Dluzen, Chief Financial Credit Union CEO; Dana Lee, Student Business Club president; Sydney Hawks, winning senior, Sterling Heights; Dr. Rebekah Pinchback, business school dean; Kendra Corman, management chair. | Photo: Olivia Duffy
The winning entry was submitted by Sydney Hawks, a senior management major from Sterling Heights, Michigan, through a campus-wide student competition. Hawks was awarded a $1,000 financial aid award in recognition of her winning submission.
The name was chosen by a selection panel that included representatives from Chief Financial Credit Union, RCU faculty and a student leader.
“In digital marketing, a click represents the moment when creativity, strategy and data lead to action,” Hawks said. “The name fits the lab's hands-on purpose, where students create, test and analyze real digital campaigns, making The Click both relevant to the discipline and approachable as a student-centered space.”
A new kind of learning space
The Click is designed to mirror the collaborative, fast-paced environment of a modern marketing agency. Students will use the same tools and workflows found in today's agencies and in-house marketing departments, including SEO and paid media platforms, email automation tools and analytics dashboards.
The lab will be integrated across multiple courses in RCU's digital marketing program, giving students hands-on experience from their first semester through advanced coursework in SEO/SEM strategy, content creation, email automation and market research.
"Rochester Christian University is growing something special in the School of Business and Technology," said Kendra Corman, chair of the Department of Management and Marketing. "The Click is an investment not just in equipment or space, but in giving students a professional-grade environment where they can develop the confidence and competence to thrive after graduation."
An industry-university partnership
Chief Financial Credit Union serves as the presenting sponsor of The Click, reinforcing its partnership with RCU, rooted in shared values of community investment and empowerment. RCU students have already engaged with Chief Financial through coursework, including developing community impact strategies as part of the university's Corporate Social Responsibility course.
ABOUT ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Rochester Christian University in Rochester Hills, Michigan, is an accredited liberal arts educational institution that empowers students to lead lives of personal and professional significance while serving God in a changing world. Founded in 1959, the university offers 27 bachelor’s degree majors and three master’s degrees.
ABOUT CHIEF FINANCIAL CREDIT UNION
Founded in 1941, Chief Financial Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution serving communities across Michigan with branches in Troy, Pontiac, Rochester and Dearborn. Guided by the mission to be “More than Money,” Chief Financial focuses on building stronger communities through financial empowerment, relationship banking and purpose-driven partnerships. Learn more at www.chiefonline.com.
Press Inquiries
Kendra Corman
kacorman [at] h2hconsulting.net
https://www.chiefonline.com/
200 Diversion Street
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
