After landing his first real musical theater job at age 10, working with Cameron Mackintosh, a well-known Broadway producer, Daniel Roberge ’23 had just one goal in mind: He wanted to be an artist and performer. As Roberge became involved in more ballet performances, he says that many in his hometown of Newcastle called him Australia’s Billy Elliot. Six years later, a classical ballet teacher in Australia took note of Roberge’s talent and wanted to do what she could to help him succeed. (more…)
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One of the things Nicole Tank ’23 enjoyed most about high school was all the writing and editing work she did as part of the yearbook team. In fact, that experience—along with an internship at a local newspaper in Round Rock, TX—inspired her to choose journalism as her college major. She toured big-name journalism schools across the country, dismissing any that offered only communication as a major. (more…)
Photo: Kenneth Leftridge
For Sam Brown ’23, art is life—and she wants everyone to be able to experience it.Moving from Florida to Ohio to attend Oberlin College in 2010, she earned a BA in Africana Studies with a minor in dance—complete with a capstone project in hip-hop dance. After graduation, she came to Chicago to be part of the city’s thriving arts scene and found her first arts industry job at The Promontory, a music venue on Chicago’s South Side, where she served as a curator, event producer, and production staff member. (more…)
Captured by @SeanSuPhoto
When Ricardo Ortega ’23 discovered theater in high school, he knew he found a pastime that would stay with him always. As he went on to study history at Kent State University, he found ways to stay connected to theater. (more…)
Grace Johnson ’23 says her devotion to storytelling, reading, and writing began at an early age. For fun, she spent time crafting stories and poems for friends and family, creating content for her blog, and writing her own book reviews. These creative outlets gave her a chance to use her imagination, express her feelings, and hone her craft.
As she got older, she began to connect this passion with her real-world experiences as she lived life as a Black woman. She wasn’t satisfied with how women like her were portrayed in popular media, and she wondered: As an ardent storyteller, could she find a way to help change the narrative in television and film? (more…)
She may have decided to pursue biology and pre-medicine at the University of Michigan, but Sophia Logas ’23 has long loved the music industry as well.
When the pandemic hit during her sophomore year, the program became more of struggle in a remote learning environment. Logas began to wonder: If she wasn’t accepted to medical school, what else could she see herself doing? After talking to her guidance counselor and academic advisor about her passion for music, she decided to declare communication and media as a second major. (more…)
When Paulina Wersocki ’22 moved to Boston from Poland to study audio engineering at the Berklee College of Music, she got to help bands, artists, and singer/songwriters bring out their very best.
As she worked with these industry professionals to reach their full potential, however, she was surprised to discover that she enjoyed the project management, music production, and partnerships involved with bringing albums together. (more…)
Credit: @jaytowns
Carmella D. Baldwin ’22 loved life as an undergraduate at Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in mass communications and media arts. While there, she took advantage of every opportunity to get involved with her collegiate community—including reigning as Miss Clark Atlanta University.
“That experience translates to a lot of what I still do today,” she says, “I really care for my community.” (more…)
Growing up in Elmwood Park, IL, Emily Long ’22 watched her parents work and raise a family in an unconventional way. Her father worked during the day while her mother worked overnight as an oncology nurse. Because of their nontraditional schedule, she says she was raised not only by her parents, but also by the community around her.
“My mom really instilled being an independent working woman,” says Long. “When I asked her if I should go to nursing school just like she, my grandmother, my sister, and my two aunts did, she said, ‘No! You’re going to do media.’ ” (more…)
“When I let go and allowed myself to be curious, a whole new world opened up.”
Audrey Emerson is a winter-start MSLCEr and a full-time Associate Financial Planner at Cultivating Wealth, a female-owned comprehensive financial planning firm. Audrey’s financial background makes her a rare find within the cohort, as most MSLCE students worked or aspired to work in the creative industries, but she started her career just like most of us in the program. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a Film Studies degree in 2017, Audrey worked as a documentary and commercial producer for both the non-profit and corporate sectors. She traveled worldwide, from Tanzania to China, supporting artists and storytellers to make a difference in the world with their art. (more…)