My time with NALIP has allowed me to grow in many ways that I believe will be beneficial to my future. From day one I was “a producer” as my supervisor Ben would always say. Coming into the office, I knew this was going to be a hands-on experience and exactly the kind of challenge I needed to put things in perspective for myself. I started in June through The Los Angeles County & Arts Commission summer program, upon returning from my study abroad in Paris, and jumped into the middle of the 2015 NALIP Media Summit planning. I got a crash course into how things worked and by the end of my first week I was asked how I felt about my experience so far, to which I replied “It feels like I’ve been here for months!” I was excited at the energy and the fast paced business. Everyone was busy doing something and no task was too small to take on. It was go go go and I loved loved loved every minute of it. It wasn’t just the fact that I was getting some hands on time with files, grids and emails, but it was the environment in which I was working in. Everyone in the office, while busy, were genuinely happy to see one another. There was a positive energy and groove to the way things worked. NALIP is an organization that cares about its members, but really cares about its staff too. I appreciated the push and challenges of my work and it changed my view on where I could go in life. I gained so much experience and maturity (I was the youngest in the office) that I became more confident. I was emailing big time content creators and seeing some of the work they were producing was inspiring. The Media Summit was by far the most rewarding experience of my life. I was so nervous and when it came time, I put myself in gear and went for it. After handling that, I knew I could take on a lot more than I expected.

Overall, NALIP shaped me and showed me the potential they saw in me. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with a team that cares for its staff and really stands for a change. I have met some great connections that I hope to keep in contact with in the future. I will be heading back to New Orleans to finish up my Senior year for Digital Media Production and Communications at Tulane University where I will be making my thesis film. After graduation I hope to return to Los Angeles, or wherever opportunity finds me, and continue creating content. A special thank you to The Los Angeles County & Arts Commission for such a wonderful summer program. Thank you to the NALIP community and NALIP’s Axel, Ben and Vanessa for allowing me to experience an internship like this one. Au Revoir y Hasta Lluego!

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