In the summer of 2014, I embarked on the Tulane to Hollywood summer program that helped me to decide my career. One year later and here I am, working in the entertainment industry - thanks especially to Dr. Mary Blue who helped me tremendously in getting here. Under her guidance, I applied to the Television Academy Foundation internship placement program in the PR category and was accepted and placed at The Hallmark Channel Family Networks.
Both the TV Academy and Hallmark have provided me with amazing learning opportunities that I will be sure to take with me throughout my career. One of the most notable things that I have learned was the coordination of events from a publicity standpoint. Each year every network hosts a Television Critics Association event, whether that is a panel or a party to announce upcoming programming. My main two responsibilities for the event were creating the packets for the talent escorts and the coordination of photographers to cover the event. The night of, I checked in the photographers and helped my supervisor manage the purple carpet. During that moment, I couldn’t help but think how crazy it was that I managed to go from a suburb in Detroit, to New Orleans and end up on a celebrity carpet at a Beverly Hills mansion.
Other than the event, I have helped out with overall general publicity for the network: creating pitches for talent and segments to be covered on media outlets, creating photo mailers to inform outlets of the upcoming programming, reading production schedules to help pick when to send photography and more. This internship allowed me the experience to know what I want to do and reaffirm my passion for working within the entertainment industry. Now, as my internship is coming to an end, I am grateful to all those who have helped me along the way and especially to Tulane for allowing me to be a part of the incredible alumni network that exists across this huge industry.
on the purple carpet at the annual TCA Event.
