Alumni
The trenches of the television industry are much like any other business that recent graduates enter. I’m currently the writer’s production assistant on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. I work long hours, I get people coffee, I answer the phones, and I love every second of it.
I’ve always been a huge fan of television, but because my parents are both screenwriters I’ve looked at it through a different lens than most. Growing up surrounded by television production, I’ve always thought about how things are made, not just the finished product we all watch on TV.
At Lehigh I learned many skills that translate to my new job. One of my college experiences that I look back upon the most is an Independent Study I took part in during my senior year. In the real world, it’s rare that someone will sit you down and teach you everything you need to know. You need to take initiative, learn how to learn effectively, and find mentors willing to guide you in the right direction. Those are all skills I learned through the film minor program at Lehigh.
I had the opportunity to set my own deadlines, assign scripts to read, and learn more about something that I loved on my own terms. I am still doing that to this day, almost like I am still taking the Independent Study class, this time for no credit.
At The Handmaid’s Tale, I get to learn how television production works from the inside. I get to interact with the writers, read every draft of every script, and observe the story-breaking process. The skills I gained at Lehigh help me feel more comfortable using this job as an incredibly rich learning experience, as well as continuing to learn and write on my own.