Summer 2022 Interns: Featured This Week
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Megan Butt
University of California - Santa Barbara
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Agency
Host Company:
Allegory Creative Management
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I grew up in a family with deep ties to theater, so an appreciation for entertainment and the performing arts was ingrained in me from a young age. While the rest of my family was involved in live theater, I felt a deeper connection to movies and television. My family's love of the arts laid the foundation for my interest in this career path, and I am endlessly grateful for their support.
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Zoe Cannon
Loyola Marymount University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Sound
Host Company:
Smart Post West
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Having television to turn to whenever I needed it and the comfort and encouragement it gave me inspired me to pursue a career in television. As I've grown older and been in college, television has grown into a medium I explore to comment on universal themes, social and introspective issues. By pursuing a career in television, I'm now not only able to review existing content but be intentional with projects of my own. The idea of being able to be part of the team on projects that also give joy, encouragement, and food for thought to their viewers is enough for me to be happy with my decision to work in this industry.
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Callie Carpinteri
University of Florida
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Phony Content
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
As a child, watching television shows with my family is how we would connect and bond, even when our hectic lives were sometimes pulled in different directions. As I got older, the television shows I loved gave me an outlet to discover myself and inspired me to pursue my own passions. Seeing strong female leads on TV chasing their dreams gave me the courage to do the same no matter what obstacles I may face. I had always had a love for storytelling and realized that I wanted to create the same kind of diverse, character-driven shows that would empower people the same way the shows I love did for me.
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Rebecca Chiafullo
Hofstra University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Editing
Host Company:
Geiger Post
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
My high school teachers Mr. Ferone and Mr. Noble and my parents Laura and Anthony have ultimately inspired me to chase my dreams in this industry. Since the start, they always believed in my creativity, drive, and excitement in this field. Their continued support through all the unknowns of developing a career in television is what continuously inspires me to put my best foot forward and continue to strive to do more.
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Lilah Feitner
Clark University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Prodigal Entertainment
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Storytelling has always captivated me. The many mediums of written, staged, and documented storytelling drove my interest in media studies, writing, and film. Films and shows are a wholly immersive means of narration. I wanted to be involved in the fabrication of stories told through film.
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Alexis Rios
Western Carolina University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Star Trek Command Training Program
Host Company:
CBS Television Studios
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I have always been a creative person and have wanted to work in the entertainment industry from a young age. Film was a great combination of different creative arts I already loved but aside from that it was an art form that was accessible to almost everyone. This was important to me because from a young age I understood that film and television was beyond a source of entertainment for people; it was a tool. Film gives you the opportunity to help people feel represented, seen, and understood, and those feelings can become some of the most important things when facing some of the hardships the world brings with it.
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Summer 2022 Interns
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Oluwadara Adedara
University of Southern California
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Casting
Host Company:
Kim Coleman Casting
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
My desire to be a part of the television industry came from when I would be left at home and turn on Disney Channel. I didn't see many people who looked like me by watching Disney Channel. I then realized that dark skin, plus-sized, Black women weren't on television as much as they should be and if they were, it was to fit a certain stereotype. I knew that I had to be the change that I wanted to see in the industry and that is why I've decided to pursue multiple facets in the industry to make sure that other Black girls watching TV can make sure that there is a place for them in this world.
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Tristan Asuncion
University of North Carolina - School of the Arts
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Editing
Host Company:
Ping Pong Productions
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I am inspired by the vast array of different genres that you are able to work in for television. I am also an aspiring editor, and television is a great way to explore what type of projects I would like to work for. There is also a power when it comes to television since it's a way to bring people together. I have bonded with my friends and family over television and I want to be a part of making it too.
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Lauren Azrin
Dartmouth College
Graduation Year: 2025
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Category:
Development (Unscripted)
Host Company:
Magical Elves
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Television has influenced my life in immeasurable ways and acts as a cathartic constant that I know I can always turn to. It has also brought me closer to so many people in my life. Being part of TV creation would be a way for me to do for others what so many other TV shows have done for me.
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Jace Begaye
New Mexico State University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Production - Animation (hand drawn)
Host Company:
Bento Box
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
If I were to pinpoint what specifically inspired me to seek a career in creative media, it would be cartoons. Not surprising since I graduated with an animation degree but the ability to bring images to life, whether they be drawn, sculpted, or photographed, it all absolutely astounds me. With each year comes new content, new stories, new experiences and I am excited to see my future in it!
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Tia Black
Boston University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Production Management
Host Company:
Shondaland
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Growing up, I was obsessed with shows on the CW like Supernatural, Smallville, One Tree Hill, and The Vampire Diaries. Though I loved them, I recognized that there were few characters of color on these shows. I am pursuing a career in television to ensure that shows in all genres depict an accurate and increased representation of underrepresented groups.
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Jamie Bokman
State University of New York - Stony Brook
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
The Wolper Organization
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Television is my love language! It's served as part of the foundation for almost every significant relationship in my life. Since I've struggled with social anxiety for many years, I've found that the times I'm most comfortable in conversation are when I'm talking about television—finding that special moment when I can connect and say "I've seen that too!" Witnessing first-hand television's ability to bring people together and build relationships is what inspired me to seek a career in the field.
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Ainsley Bronskill
California State University - Northridge
Graduation Year: 2024
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Category:
Agency
Host Company:
Authentic Talent & Literary Management
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
What inspired me to seek a career in television was my never-ending curiosity of media production behind the scenes. I wanted to learn everything about how what is seen on screen is brought into existence from day one. Five years since I made this decision, my path has led me to major in Entertainment Media Management in the hopes that I could later enter television production as an agent or producer either here or in Seoul, South Korea.
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Harry Cohen
Drexel University
Graduation Year: 2024
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Category:
Production - Animation (CG)
Host Company:
Lex + Otis
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
My discipline is animation, and I've always been interested and inspired by animation, both on television and off. Specifically, Stephen Hillenberg, the creator of Spongebob Squarepants, has been a huge inspiration for me in animation. His creative vision and unconventional background gave me the courage to seek a creative career and strive to do what I love.
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Grant Cotter
Los Angeles City College
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Getting Real: Unscripted (Development)
Host Company:
Bunim-Murray Productions
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I'm an only child raised by a single parent, so the TV was my babysitter. My family became the families I saw on sitcom reruns. When I got older I wanted to create television shows that could invoke the same feeling in others.
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Gabriela Furtado Coutinho
Northwestern University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Development (Children's Programming)
Host Company:
Cloudco Entertainment, LLC
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I feel television is a most accessible medium for storytelling: global streaming became a bridge for me between Brazil and the US, and television characters like Elmo and Mickey have always smiled with my brother, even as he is turned away in other settings for his disability. This kind of unprejudiced love and expansive reach has inspired me to imagine what possibility children's television contains. Could children's television programming offer the seeds to reimagine how we care for one another, break down historical harm, and hold onto radical hope? While this medium already beautifully asks these questions, I'm eager to join the field, help push the boundaries of conversation, and always uplift innovation and quality in programming - for our youth deserve only the most thoughtful, helpful, and ear-to-the-ground storytelling..
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Julian Crosby
University of Miami
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Writing (Comedy)
Host Company:
Kripke Enterprises
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
More than anything, I was inspired by my own personal addiction to television. I figured I ought to turn my slightly compulsive binge-watching habits into a career so my parents couldn't gripe about it any longer. But I was also in a large part inspired by my friends in college, particularly the relationships I've formed with other Black filmmakers and artists on my campus. Their creative genius, boldness and relentless pursuit to follow their dreams continues to inspire me every single day.
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Jessica
Curney
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Graduation Year: 2022 |
Category:
Development (Children's Programming)
Host Company:
Moonbug Entertainment
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Growing up, the only escape I had from my flawed environment was a small box TV where I immersed myself in countless hours of my favorite TV shows. I was so inspired by what I saw that I began to write my own shows. What started off as a way to imagine me in a completely different world, my love for TV turned into a deep passion that I couldn't ignore
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Luke D'Agnese
Chapman University
Graduation Year: 2024
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Almost Never Films
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Watching cartoons like Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, and Over the Garden Wall at a young age made me want to create television more than anything. Now older, watching shows with my family and friends has given me a sense of wonder and joy that I want to give back to others. TV resonates with me because of the medium's power to bring people together over the course of multiple seasons to enjoy various complex characters, imaginative worlds, and great stories. I love TV's puzzle-like structure, and I am inspired by the possibilities it offers.
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Manuel Diaz
Pasadena City College
Graduation Year: 2025
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Category:
Foster Forward Initiative (Corporate Social Responsibility)
Host Company:
Endemol Shine
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I have always loved communicating and telling stories to others. Being able to not only convey my stories but also help others do the same is empowering. Also, I was TV shows nonstop.
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Kaitlyn Dillon
Virginia Tech
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Interactive Media
Host Company:
Getty Images
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Growing up, my dad starred in local commercials for his car dealership. It was so cool being able to see him on television and he even brought me along to see the production process. I have loved the art of creating media ever since.
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McKenna Farlow
University of North Carolina - School of the Arts
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Design (Art Direction/Set Decoration)
Host Company:
James Pearse Connelly
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I have held a deep fascination and admiration for the art medium of film and television since I was a little kid. When it comes to my schooling, I am a Design and Production student over at UNCSA (which focuses on the theatrical), but I have had the incredible opportunity to also invest my education in some classes with the School of Film. I prioritized those extra classes for myself because of my piqued interest in the medium and my desire to further push my storytelling skills. In the classes I have taken, I have made wonderful partnerships with my professors, and Eve Cauley, one of the production design faculty members, really encouraged me to apply for this internship!
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Isabella Fenn
Columbia University
Graduation Year: 2024
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Daniel L. Paulson Productions, Inc.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Mindy Kaling! Watching a wonderful woman of color be funny and take up space in The Mindy Project showed me that I could do the same in a space that is usually closed off to women of color. I've always loved comedy and Mindy opened the door, saying I could create in that space too! I'm more than excited to show other unrepresented people that they can create and participate too!
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Elizabeth Fox
Stanford University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Valhalla Entertainment
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
When I was a kid, for a while I really wanted to be an architect. I soon found I was more interested in the imaginary people I pictured inside the houses I was designing than the houses themselves. I realized I want to design stories instead of buildings, and I became enthralled by a different kind of blueprint: television scripts. From physics to philosophy, I've always possessed a wide range of intellectual interests, but my main creative interest is decidedly storytelling; the television industry provides an exciting space where I can pull together all of my interests in the form of on-screen stories that I hope audiences will find not only enjoyable but thought-provoking.
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Michelle Fredericks
University of California - Irvine
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Physical Production/
Business Management
Host Company:
Hulu
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
My family nurtured my healthy love for television and its connective power. My mom was born in the Philippines and my dad here in the U.S., but they both grew up watching TV shows like Hogan's Heroes, M.A.S.H, and Gilligan's Island. It's amazing to hear them talk about their shared memories of these shows despite the thousands of miles between their childhood homes. In the age of streaming, our love of TV shows is connecting us more than ever, and I could not be prouder to have the opportunity to be a part of this industry.
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Violet Garner
California State University - Long Beach
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Diversity & Inclusion Unscripted (Development/Casting)
Host Company:
High Noon Entertainment
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I have been inspired to seek a career in television by a motivation to increase diversity and inclusion both on- and off-screen. This has been especially fueled by Indigenous creators, such as Taika Waititi, who have aided in creating further demand for normalizing representations. I hope to contribute to this positive growth throughout my career, with an emphasis on Native communities.
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Maggie Geiler
NYU Journalism Graduate School
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
News (Broadcast)
Host Company:
KABC 7 News
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I grew up watching the Today show every single morning. I remember being fascinated with what was going on in the world and always knowing I wanted to be a part of news. When I was 13, I visited New York City for the first time. Forget the American Girl Doll store - I wanted showbiz, baby! My one request was the Studio 1A Today show plaza. After making my grandparents wake up at 5:00 a.m. to stand in the snow for three hours, I finally met Al Roker. I remember thinking, "I don't know how, but one day I'm gonna be a part of this world." I ended up getting to intern with Today 11 years later! Al, Hoda Kotb, Clarissa Ward, Oprah, Maria Shriver, and Kathie Lee Gifford all inspire me to seek a career as a journalist due to their ability to empathize with what's happening in the world, their love for people, and their authentic kindness and compassion.
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Cole Giacobbe
Chapman University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Pine Tree Entertainment
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
In seventh grade, my teacher told me I could never make a career out of entertaining my friends. Ten years later and I am making a career doing exactly that. That same passion for entertaining has inspired me to pursue a career in the best storytelling medium around.
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Sonia Gonzalez
University of California - Los Angeles
Graduation Year: 2024
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
FX
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
While studying abroad, befriending my foreign classmates was facilitated through the language and mannerisms I adopted from binge watching French television series. And they were equally keen on studying up on American shows to learn more about me. Worlds apart, and yet TV closed the gaps between us. I want to be part of creating the content that connects people despite the many differences that may exist among them.
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Logan Johnson
New York University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Music
Host Company:
Mark Isham
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I was ALWAYS caught watching television, even past my bedtime. At a young age I fell in LOVE with the theme songs from a lot of classic TV shows (Bewitched, I Love Lucy, Maude, Golden Girls, Good Times, The Cosby Show (Season 6), Cheers, etc.) Those songs inspired my dream to write my own iconic theme song one day!
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Eren Joyce
Marquette University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development (Children's Programming)
Host Company:
The Jim Henson Company
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I've always had a deep love of storytelling, no matter the form it takes--books, TV shows, even tabletop role-playing games. As I was growing up, I knew I wanted to find a career that would allow me to hone that love. Every single story I was enamored with as a kid remains a huge sources of inspiration for me to this day.
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Mia Karle
New York University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Tapas Media
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I grew up with my dad on the local news, so watching him every evening made the world of television familiar yet obscure enough to spark my curiosity. When I began writing scripts, I knew I wanted television to be the home for my stories, because through my dad I learned it is a place to build connections with others.
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Candice Lewis
Full Sail University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Star Trek Command Training Program
Host Company:
CBS Television Studios
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
My late grandmother is my inspiration for a career in television. She was the family story sharer, and she would tell stories of rich history and culture that would stick with me through my life. My hope is to one day match her greatness.
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Melanie
Mendoza-Lopez
Woodbury University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Getting Real: Unscripted (Development)
Host Company:
Endemol Shine North America
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I knew that I loved filmmaking and I knew one day I wanted to be on set or helping develop the ideas for new TV shows. It would be pretty cool to be a part of creating one that millions of people watch and love. I've seen a lot of behind the scenes of creating a show and I want to be a part of that.
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Julius Nicoloro
Rochester Institute of Technology
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development (Scripted)
Host Company:
Entertainment One
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I've always been enthusiastic about both storytelling and learning, which can be experienced fantastically through audio-visual media. I delighted in watching BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs when I was 3 years old. As I became older, I began watching other shows that demonstrated the power of television as a storytelling medium.
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Nicholas Niera
California State University, Long Beach
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Diversity & Inclusion Unscripted (Development)
Host Company:
44 Blue Productions LLC
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Videography is a passion of mine, and television has become an attractive niche because of how dominatingly popular TV shows have grown to be in recent years. Additionally, I became interested in TV at a young age thanks to my mom and her work at KRON4. She always spoke highly of her time spent in that field, and I am sure that I will too.
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Christina Oyelola
American Film Institute
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Casting
Host Company:
McNulty Casting Inc.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Viola Davis said it best, "there is something about seeing someone who looks like you that makes it more tangible...you need to see a physical manifestation of your dream." Seeing Issa Rae and Michaela Coel tell their stories and introduce the world to the multi-dimensions of black women inspired me to pursue a career in television. Their work influenced me to embrace the experiences and complexities that I face in my own life. In my view, Issa and Michaela laid the foundation for modern-day black female creatives and I hope to follow in their footsteps in my career.
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Monica Pineda
University of California - Riverside
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Getting Real: Unscripted (Development)
Host Company:
World of Wonder
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I am such a fan of reality television because of the people and ideas that come about from it. Seeing so many competitions, life stories, and celebrations made me realize that I wanted to be a part of the process and hopefully be a voice for more diverse stories to be told.
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Alexandra Siambekos
Syracuse University
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Production (Documentary/Nonfiction/Unscripted)
Host Company:
Herizon Productions, LLC
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
To capture someone's way of life and translate it onto a visual medium is powerful. I realized this at 16, when I held a 35mm film camera for the first time as I followed my grandparents around. The negatives revealed everyday vignettes that encapsulated their spirit and told their story. At that moment, I knew I had to pursue nonfiction production.
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Brittannie Travis
University of Cincinnati
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Design (Costume)
Host Company:
Gordon Group Associates
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I love the aspect of using storytelling to create messages and meaning beyond myself. Growing up, I attended schools and activities with a very diverse population. So, television series with a multidimensional ensemble cast (i.e. A Different World, Degrassi, On My Block, Outerbanks) were the narratives that I gravitated toward watching and now designing. I enjoy costuming characters with diverse personal stories that can connect or relate to the humanity within others.
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Renee Xiang
DePaul University
Graduation Year:
2025
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Category:
Production (Commercials)
Host Company:
Radical Media, et al.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I've always loved television, but it wasn't until I started considering a career in film and TV that I began to see the medium as a powerful tool for change. Television especially is such a uniquely influential art form, I truly believe that it has the potential to create awareness and incite change within our social landscape, and I'm extremely eager to be a part of that change. As tempted as I am to name every single TV show that I've drawn inspiration from, the list would go on for days, so here are a few of my favorites at the moment: Fleabag, Chernobyl, Arcane, The Good Place, and The Queen's Gambit.
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Spring 2022 Interns
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Katherine Aranda
University of California - Los Angeles
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development - Scripted (Spring)
Host Company:
Valhalla Ent.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I feel honored and validated that my hard work and passion for television are recognized by the Television Academy. It is rewarding to know that they believe in my potential to become a studio executive and to be an agent of change to promote diversity and inclusion behind the scenes. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to continue honing in on my creative skills and to meet new people that will help me rise up in the industry.
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Ayana Daniels
California State University - Fullerton
Graduation Year: 2023
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Category:
Star Trek Command Training Program (Spring)
Host Company:
CBS Television Studios
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Since adolescence, I have been interested in television and pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. As a young black woman, I needed to see women like me in positions of power. Watching Keke Palmer in True Jackson, VP instilled in me that your talent and ambition can aid in your success despite your background or experience. Even though True Jackson was in the fashion industry, the show's message was transferable. True Jackson VP taught me at a young age that I already had the power to make an impact in the world because of my determination.
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Aubrey Gilman
University of California - Los Angeles
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development - Unscripted (Spring)
Host Company:
44 Blue Prod.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I grew up with a passion for entertainment but always imagined it to be so far-fetched. What really inspires me to continue to pursue careers in the entertainment industry is my elementary-aged self who dreamed of immersing herself the world that television and Hollywood creates. I have always had similar goals, dreams, and desires as to what I wanted my future to be like and entertainment has always been a huge influence on what I want to achieve.
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Yameen Hameed
Chapman University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development - Scripted (Spring)
Host Company:
Prodigal Ent.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I've been interested in storytelling since childhood, starting with the comics I drew in my notebooks. I love how each creative medium has its own unique strengths, so it took me a while to figure out what my career path should look like. There was no big moment of epiphany, but over time, I learned to appreciate television as one of the most versatile and collaborative ways to tell a story.
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Rose-Emma Lambridis
Boston University
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Development - Children's (Spring)
Host Company:
Moonbug Ent.
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
Growing up watching Avatar: The Last Airbender inspired me to get lost in imaginative worlds and create art that tackled heavy topics with a sense of humor.
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Vivian Rhodes
California State University - Northridge
Graduation Year: 2022
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Category:
Star Trek Command Training Program (Spring)
Host Company:
CBS Television Studios
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What inspired you to seek a career in television?
I have always wanted a career involving storytelling. When I first started watching TV (at the age of twelve) I was immediately drawn to the opportunities and possibilities of the medium. Since then, I have found something inspiring and exciting in every TV show I've watched.
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