Category: Education

Source: US State of Connecticut

Business student Emily Laput ’26 (CLAS) created her own marketing and consulting firm when she was in high school. That impressed interviewers at NBC Universal in New York City, and helped her capture a coveted summer internship.

Across the city, recent alum Peter Spinelli ’24 (BUS, CLAS), is working as a production intern at ABC News. He is passionate about increasing the percentage of Gen Z adults who watch TV news.

And alumna Emilia Kwasniak ’24 (BUS) —a self-described “theater kid” who loved the Nickelodeon show “Victorious” when growing up—is now a long-term temporary employee at the first TV channel created exclusively for kids.

Students Eager to Apply Business Knowledge in Creative Industries

Professor Sami Ghaddar, of the Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department in the School of Business, says the news and entertainment industries have become increasingly attractive to UConn students because they offer a compelling combination of creativity, adaptability, and strategic opportunity.

“The diversity of work within these industries is undoubtedly a key factor. The ability to work across various mediums and platforms allows our students to apply their business skills in dynamic and innovative ways,’’ he says. “Moreover, the versatility of a business degree is evident in how students can navigate these rapidly changing fields, leveraging their entrepreneurial mindset to succeed in new and exciting ways.’’

Kelly Kennedy, Director of Transformative Learning at the School of Business, agreed. She’s meeting more business students who are looking for opportunities beyond traditional employment paths, reflecting a larger generational shift toward more personally meaningful work.

“Creative industries need to hire analytical business students who are adaptable, driven, and can navigate a fast-paced environment with ease,’’ she says. “The proximity to New York City offers UConn business students both alumni networking opportunities and access to prestigious companies, making it easier to secure competitive internships. Their success speaks to the quality of our academic and experiential programs that equip our business Huskies with the confidence, tenacity, and grit to redefine work on their own terms.’’

Emily Laput Applied for 200 Summer Jobs

This summer, Laput, an honors student majoring in marketing and communications, worked as a corporate communications intern at NBC Universal in New York City. But getting a dream summer internship wasn’t an easy task.

“Professor Kennedy forced me to think about what I want to do and where I want to be. I had worked at an energy nonprofit recently and wasn’t interested in the industry, but entertainment and media offered something new every day,’’ she says. “I applied for more than 200 summer positions, including 20 at NBC Universal, all with customized applications.’’

She got five first-round interviews at NBC Universal, two second-round interviews, and then the offer.

“I think what helped me stand out is that in high school I created my own marketing and consultancy firm, and I did fundraising and event planning,’’ says Laput. “Creating my own opportunities really gave me a great start. I’m a junior and I enjoy forging my own opportunities and finding a path to get ahead.’’

One of her favorite summer tasks was helping promote a new Minions movie, “Despicable Me 4.” Prior to the movie’s release on July 3, she led the creation of a “Day in the Life of a Minion” reel. A native of Beacon Falls, Laput had been the mascot at her high school, which gave her an edge in starting the project. She created an Instagram reel that showed the Minion at the Kelly Clarkson Show, watching a movie trailer, and even buying bananas at the company commissary.

“This job brings me so much joy, it’s so cool,’’ she said over the summer. “Who else walks into work with the Today Show filming when you enter your office? I was on the Today Show elevator and [anchor] Hoda Kotb said hello to me. That made my day, my whole summer, actually.’’

In addition, the network partnered with America’s VetDogs to socialize a puppy named Atlas, who will soon be placed with a veteran. Laput handled Atlas’ Instagram posts. She also worked on employee engagement projects and edited the company newsletters. She says the variety of work made the days interesting.

“When I’d walk into work every day, I’d think, ‘This job was made for me!,’” she says. Originally leaning toward event planning, she now wants to work in internal communications and employee engagement.

Laput says she’d advise other interns not to wait around for an assignment, but instead suggest projects that interest them.

“If you have an idea, there’s no risk in throwing it out there. If it isn’t possible, move on,’’ she says. “I think what makes me different is that I ask for work, express interest in things, like video editing, and come up with ideas. If you express your career goals clearly, it lets others know what projects you would enjoy working on, and that’s more exciting.’’

Peter Spinelli Believes It’s Important to Be Informed 

Only 11% of Gen Z adults routinely watch the news on television. When Spinelli discovered that fact, as part of a research project for his Content Entrepreneurship class at UConn, he was disappointed.

“Now that I’m of voting age, I think it is important to know what’s going on in your state and in your country. I want to make sure people are watching,’’ Spinelli says. He believes that 24-hour news streaming and social media can help leverage engagement.

He has spent the last few months working as a production intern at ABC News in New York. His team recruits on-air talent for the network and some of its affiliates. Spinelli has traveled to journalism conferences in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas, to connect young journalists to the company.

“I feel lucky to be traveling with the team. I enjoy the recruiting aspect,’’ he says. “I could see myself being with this team permanently one day. But before I do, I want to gain experience in production.’’

Spinelli has also vetted potential employees, reviewing their reels and previous work. He has learned more about what the company seeks in on-air talent and gained insight into the decision making that goes on behind the scenes.

“Being a younger person in the room, they would ask me who I liked and what’s  appealing to a younger person. I appreciated being included in the discussion,’’ he says.

Spinelli, a native of Shelton, had a marketing internship at a health-insurance company, but wasn’t enamored with the work. In 2023, he pursued an internship at WTNH in New Haven, and that fueled his interest in broadcast journalism and production. He helped reporters with their scripts, edited some videos, and got a chance to try many aspects of the business.

“I’d be at an animal shelter one day, surrounded by puppies, and at the site of a shooting the next day,’’ he says. “It was fast-paced, and I loved that it was something different every day.’’

In addition to his coursework as a double major in management and communication, Spinelli says serving as a UConn Tour Guide and as Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government prepared him well for his current job.

“As a tour guide, you’re working to present UConn in a positive light and answer questions about the university,’’ he says. “On the other side, the student government is often calling on the administration to do something better. During my time there, we created a food pantry because we knew there were students who were struggling and living on ramen. I have seen both sides.’’

“Those two jobs both involved telling the student story, from recruiting to advocacy,’’ he says. “Those two experiences prepared me for what I’m doing now, especially when it comes to being impartial and telling both sides of the story.’’

He credits the flexibility of UConn’s academic programs for allowing him to add journalism courses during his senior year. Before graduation, he applied to 50 jobs and internships. He says he feels lucky to have been hired by ABC, which is a Disney-owned company. His job runs until January, and he would love to stay on permanently.

One of the most surprising aspects of his job is how welcoming the talent is.

“They are very responsive to any request. They always come up to chat and never say no to posing for a photo or appearing in a silly video that I’m making for our team’s Instagram,’’ he says. “It’s great to know they’re the people they come across as on TV.’’

Emilia Kwasniak Enjoys the Business Side of Media

Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Emilia Kwasniak was a proud theater kid. One of her favorite TV shows was “Victorious,” a Nickelodeon sitcom revolving around Tori Vega, a promising talent who attends Hollywood Arts, a fictional performing arts high school.

“It aligned well with me as a theater kid. In that show, all the performing arts kids are super cool,’’ she says, laughing.

Kwasniak says her long-term temporary job as a media planning coordinator at Nickelodeon involves importing shows, commercials, promos, and ratings, as well as scheduling and marketing strategy. She distinguishes herself by being a quick study and a conscientious worker.

“I’m so happy to work somewhere that impacted me as a kid,’’ she says. “It is very collaborative here and I’m working with phenomenal people. I’m very lucky.’’

During her time at UConn, Kwasniak was an Honors student, photo producer for The Daily Campus, and Vice President of Internal Services for UConn Student Television.

But perhaps the most impactful experience was serving as Director of Media for the HuskyTHON Miracle Network Dance Marathon, which required a year-long commitment to strategizing and executing the fundraiser’s marketing campaign, including photography, videography, and managing a team of 10 student photographers. The event raised a record-breaking $1.7 million for Connecticut Children’s Foundation.

“Before this experience, working in the entertainment business seemed like a far-fetched dream. But HuskyTHON helped me realize that I could truly succeed in that environment. It’s the largest student-run organization on campus, so on top of the marketing experience I gained, it was also a big time commitment. I had to collaborate with a lot of people and cross-functional teams, which even included employees and families from Connecticut Children’s,’’ she says.

“There were so many email chains, meetings, and projects that I had to shift my attention to on a daily basis, while consistently maintaining the high quality of my work, so it taught me a great deal about what a professional workplace looks like,’’ she says. “It was essentially like an internship and equipped me with all the professional skills I needed to succeed.’’

Kwasniak’s greatest accomplishment in that role was producing the announcement video that brought the year-long campaign to life. “It surpassed 100,000 views on Instagram, which is an impressive accomplishment that helped me stand out during my Nickelodeon interview,’’ she says. “As the media planning coordinator, my role is to promote Nickelodeon’s short-and long-term campaigns on our channels, so it was helpful to mention my campaign announcement video and the tangible results that came from promoting it.’’

Kwasniak credits a one-credit career development course she took with Kennedy for giving her a foot in the door at Nickelodeon. Kennedy had assigned the students to reach out to conduct an informational interview with someone at a company where they might want to work.

“I knew someone who worked at Nickelodeon and asked for advice,’’ Kwasniak says. They had a great conversation, and the woman gave Kwasniak guidance to enhance her professional experiences.

“Right before graduation, she called and asked if I’d be interested in a temporary job. I said, ‘I’m beyond interested!’’’ she recalls. “If it weren’t for that class, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to reach out and ultimately wouldn’t have the job.’’

Kwasniak applied to UConn as a political science major, capitalizing on her love of history and social studies. But she kept exploring other options and wound up majoring in finance.

“I realized I can work on the business side of media and entertainment. I didn’t think I could create the content, but I could certainly help put it out,’’ she says. Today she promotes events and premiers, including the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show and The Kids’ Choice Awards.

“If I told 10-year-old me that I work at Nickelodeon now, she would probably think that I’m pranking her,’’ Kwasniak says. “As a kid, I didn’t even realize that working in entertainment was an option for me. I always had this expectation that becoming an adult and working an ‘adult job’ would be boring. Ten-year-old me would be so proud of me for finding a job that I am truly passionate about, and that I look forward to every day. And she would definitely think that I’m the coolest person in the world!’’

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