“With the award I received, I was able to pursue internships and was able to get an insight on the industry,” Mickaela said. “It was like a head start for me and I am very appreciative of it.”
Her internship at Volition Entertainment familiarized her with the process behind getting a TV script from paper to production, and gave her clarity about her career path after graduation.
“I was able to learn as much as I could before the writers' and actor’s strike,” she said. “The most rewarding part was being able to talk with colleagues about the scripts I read the night before and provide my perspective and notes on it. I learned that it takes a lot of planning and meetings to get a film or TV show script to a final product.”
Mickaela was also given opportunities to pitch features and TV shows, as well as learned how to send clients to auditions. This perspective into the moving parts of the film and television industry was invaluable as she approaches graduation and considers her career aspirations.
During her time at IU, she credits a close friend with making her time at IU a special experience.
“I believe my friend, Lizbeth, whom I met here at IU, has made my college experience more meaningful because we both decided to take ASL (American Sign Language) together. It’s been really special having that bond over learning ASL that no one else has.”
Mickaela has begun thinking about her life post-graduation and what it will hold. “My next chapter at graduation is to stay here in Bloomington and work towards getting a job in media. Eventually I would like to move to the West Coast to pursue my dream as a screenwriter.”
The Media School is equipping students to pursue any media career they can imagine, and internship funding from the College of Arts and Science's Walter Center for Career Achievement has given these students necessary financial support to study near and far and get a head start on their careers.
