Paterno Fellow
Major: Economics, Telecommunications
Minor: International Studies
Hometown: Bethlehem, PA, USA
Chapel Executive Intern

How did you learn about this opportunity?

I found out about this internship online through the NBC website. I also attended an information session that NBC held on campus, which helped me when applying.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

As a programming intern with NBC Universal, I worked out of the Miami, FL, office and was on a team that acquired and scheduled programming for NBC cable channels in Latin America. I was responsible for compiling monthly programming highlights, creating themed movie weekends for the channels, screening potential acquisitions, and monitoring the channels' performances. The three channels I worked with were Syfy, Studio Universal, and Universal Channel. Over the course of the summer, I also had the opportunity to work with finance and ad sales interns on a research project which examined the viability of NBC acquiring a new digital channel in Latin America. The project culminated in a report which we presented to the top executives in our office.

"My experience has also solidified that I want to work in the media industry when I graduate, and has helped me to decide which classes to take to help prepare me for that field."

How did this experience impact you academically?

The work that I did at my internship has been reinforced by what I am learning in the classroom. The media programming class I am currently taking is reinforcing things that I learned at my programming internship, but I also get to hear different perspectives from my classmates and professor. My experience has also solidified that I want to work in the media industry when I graduate, and has helped me to decide which classes to take to help prepare me for that field. I am also working on my undergraduate thesis, which will examine the economic viability of content streaming services such as Netflix, and my work experience has given me a professional insight into the questions I am researching.

What are your career goals or plans? How did this experience impact them?

After graduation, I would like to work in the entertainment industry in a position similar to the one I held this summer. Before taking the internship, I was not entirely sure what a programming department did. Now that I understand what it takes to be a programmer and I have valuable, practical skills in that field, I plan to seek programming or development related positions. I also enjoyed working for NBC, and would like to work for them again, particularly in New York. Whether I end up at NBC or another media company, I know that the skills I learned at this internship will help me as I get my start in the entertainment industry.

Would you recommend this experience to other liberal arts students? If yes, why?

I would recommend this experience to any liberal arts student that has an interest in media and knowledge of media content. The internship also required that I speak a small amount of Spanish, so I would recommend working in Miami for any student interested in improving their foreign language skills.

Alexandra was selected as a 2014 Chapel Executive Intern. If you are participating in a full-time internship in business or the private sector, consider applying for the Chapel Executive Internship Program. If selected, you would receive $5,000 in enrichment funds to support your internship!