Professional Connections
"Creative Cafes" link students with the world of media and entertainment
Despite classes moving online, Communication students at Santa Clara University got the chance to connect with media and entertainment professionals throughout spring quarter in Katie Heintz's Business of Media Course.
In a series of optional, small group "Creative Cafes," media professionals zoomed in and shared their work experiences, tips for job hunting in the industry, and answered students' questions. The topic of how the media industries recover from the pandemic shutdowns led to indepth discussions and hypotheticals.
"I study the media industries but have never directly worked in media," Heintz said. "These cafes provided us with great opportunities to see how the material we are learning in class translates to the work of people in the industry. I have learned as much as the students from these meetings."
Students talked with a wide range of professionals, including Taye Diggs, the actor and writer; Joanne Schnuckel '79, a post-production manager for the Disney Channel; Megan Imbres, head of brand and content marketing for Quibi; Emily Alonso '18, script coordinator for Warner Bros.; and Alex Sarne, casting and production assistant for MTV's "The Challenge." Filmmakers Nico Opper and Mike Whalen from the Communication Department also shared their insights with students.
"I think this has been so successful, I might continue it even when we get back to our normal in-classroom environment," Heintz said.