澳门六合彩官网

Francisco Albarran (MACS), Film Production Intern, Chili Finger

When media and cinema studies senior Francisco Albarran heard Chili Finger鈥攁 new film starring John Goodman, Judy Greer, Sean Astin, and Bryan Cranston鈥攚as filming nearby this summer, he took a chance and emailed Rantoul-based , asking if he could help out.

To his surprise, the words 鈥減erfect timing鈥� quickly appeared in his inbox and the very next day, Albarran was on set, helping build scenes and soaking in hands-on production experience at locations across central Illinois.

In his second week of the internship, Albarran got a surreal assignment: pick up Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) from his rental house in Champaign. The next day, Albarran was in his driveway, watching with awe as the garage door slowly opened revealing one of his all-time favorite actors.

鈥淚t looked so amazing. It looked like Walter White [the character Cranston played in Breaking Bad] was actually right there in front of my eyes, which basically he was,鈥� Albarran said.

During the 20-minute drive, the two shared a conversation about the Chili Finger production, life in general, and Albarran鈥檚 own film aspirations. Albarran asked Cranston to sign a plank of wood he had saved from the film set as a souvenir. The message read: 鈥淔rancisco, thanks for the ride, my friend, Bryan Cranston.鈥�

鈥淥ne week you have dirty laundry in the back of your car, and then the next you have an Emmy Award-winning [actor],鈥� Albarran mused.

Albarran said meeting Cranston and working alongside the film crew, as well as working with his MACS 480 classmates, helped reinvigorate his passion for storytelling and filmmaking. He hopes to write, direct, and act in a short film this year.

Nathan Gonzalez (Journalism), Assignment Desk Intern, FOX News Channel at the Washington, D.C., Bureau

As an assignment desk intern for FOX News at the Washington, D.C. Bureau, Nathan Gonzalez, a junior in journalism, produced coverage of protests, U.S. District Court cases, Senate and House committee hearings, live shots, interviews, and press conferences with members of Congress.

Some of the content he produced even aired on shows like Fox News Live, The Big Weekend Show, The Story, America Reports, America鈥檚 Newsroom, Special Report with Bret Baier, and The Will Cain Show.

鈥淭hat was a huge moment,鈥� Gonzalez said. 鈥淚t reassured me that even as a rising junior, I鈥檓 capable of producing content that meets national standards.鈥�

Gonzalez learned how national political reporting is structured, the importance of fostering relationships with fellow reporters, and that national and local reporting aren鈥檛 as different as they seem.

鈥淲hile national outlets have far more resources, the core skills鈥攁pproaching officials and asking questions鈥攁pply at every level. If you can interview municipal officials, you can press congressmen on Capitol Hill, without a doubt,鈥� Gonzalez said.

Jonathan Mathew (Journalism), Entertainment Promotions Intern, Chicago Dogs

Whether he was working in the team store, ushering VIPs, overseeing the team鈥檚 Kid Zone, or dressed up as 鈥淪queeze鈥� the mustard mascot, Jonathan Mathew, a junior in journalism, had a great experience as an entertainment promotions intern with the Chicago Dogs baseball team this summer.   

Mathew said the opportunity to intern with the independent professional baseball team taught him a lot about sports business and entertainment, including different marketing techniques, as well as how to interact and engage with the public.

鈥淚 learned a lot of life lessons that will be valuable to me in the long run, and I am confident the return on investment I have with this internship will be more than I can imagine,鈥� he said.

Mathew recalls one day working behind the mic as a gameday co-host tasked with entertaining the crowd between innings.

鈥淭hat [is] an experience I will hold closely to my heart and have as a reminder to keep me motivated in achieving my career dream,鈥� Mathew said.

Sarah Juan (Advertising), Social 澳门六合彩官网 Content and Video Intern, Glow Recipe

Sarah Juan, a junior in advertising, went above and beyond to secure an internship at the global skin care company Glow Recipe, crafting a  highlighting a celebrity partnership. Her hard work paid off as Juan was awarded the internship as a social media content and video intern.

In her role, Juan assisted with content development, conducted market research, tracked metrics, and helped the social media team with new product launches, which was the highlight of the experience for her.

鈥淪upporting the content team on set in NYC, I was able to work directly with models for new product launches and help direct filming for social content! Being on set was the most rewarding experience,鈥� Juan said.

Juan recalls an important lesson her supervisor shared that will stick with her: 鈥淲e鈥檙e all storytellers, no matter the industry you market in.鈥�

鈥淭he beauty industry is tough and requires thick skin, but if you are passionate about supporting a mission through storytelling, that is what will get you far,鈥� Juan said.

Cherie Chick (MS Advertising), Account Specialist Intern, Rakuten Advertising

Cherie Chick, an MS advertising聽student, applied to more than 80 positions and interviewed with eight different companies before securing an聽internship聽with her top choice, Rakuten Advertising. Rakuten provides advertising technology and consumer insights to global brands and retailers with a core focus on affiliate marketing, acting as the bridge between advertisers and publishers, including content creators, media outlets, and loyalty platforms.

Chick spent her summer in Chicago as an account specialist intern responsible for managing high-impact affiliate marketing campaigns by strategizing and negotiating publisher partnerships, optimizing creative placements to drive conversions, delivering performance insights to clients, and advising on quarterly spend strategies.

For Chick, the highlight of the internship was working with a diverse portfolio of client accounts spanning multiple countries and industries, from travel and finance to education and technology.

鈥淭his cross-regional exposure taught me how consumer behaviors, promotional calendars, and publisher relationships vary across markets,鈥� Chick said. 鈥淔or example, the way travelers research trips and the sites they interact with is entirely different from how consumers search for credit card offers or financial advisors.鈥�