Current Mitchell Scholars

On Thursday, January 25, 2024, Mitchell Scholars (pictured above L to R) Lily Price, Daniela Castillo, and Juan Morales met with LSA Opportunity Hub’s Assistant Director of Coaching and Outreach, Kate Silbert for a specially curated coaching session about post-graduate life. During the session, Kate shared LSA Hub resources, helped the group set both short-term and long-term goals regarding their future job pursuits, and discussed how to reach out to hiring managers to discuss potential job opportunities.

“The meeting was incredibly helpful, and the joint session with Juan and Lily made me feel really supported. We left knowing a lot more about what resources we can use to secure a job by graduation, and we're holding each other accountable in our goals.”

                                                                                    Daniela Castillo

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, the current Mitchell Scholar cohort met with FTVM Professors Hsu and Valadez for an engaging, two-hour discussion about how to successfully navigate the industry outside of the Hollywood mainstream. Hsu and Valadez discussed how one might decide what to write/produce – and when – emphasizing that one’s vision needs to be “several years out” to meet the demands of streaming platforms; they gave advice regarding creating a balance between a “money” job and a career path - and suggested how to surpass roadblocks by continually evaluating the importance of one’s mission; and they gave specific networking tips when searching for a job and/or presenting one’s work: network over time, ask specific questions; and take the time to make a connection. 

"When you are thinking about creating work, look at what’s NOT there; absence is an opportunity.” -- Professor John Valadez 

On Friday, February 9, 2024, Mitchell Scholars Lily Price and Juan Morales met with FTVM Professor Melissa Phruksachart for a discussion on diverse representation when writing characters for the screen. Much of their discussion centered around the question, “How do we portray different kinds of people in our scripts with respect to those being portrayed?” Professor Phruksachart challenged Lily and Juan to think about the effects of colorblind casting; the difference between being color blind and color mute; and the idea that “we are all entangled in this world, so whose story is it?” At the end of the session Phruksachart encouraged the scholars to consider that "each of their characters, regardless of who it is, deserves a full life and a full history.” 

On Friday, March 15, 2024, Mitchell Scholars (L to R) Daniela Castillo, Lauren Horne, Juan Morales, Johannes Pardi, and Nora Pasche met with Television Director Mark Cendrowski. Joined by Professor Jim Burnstein, Mark led a thoughtful discussion on the continually changing state of the television industry and streaming and the potential impact of AI on the future of actors and writers. Mark closed the session by addressing questions, giving advice on how to construct a successful pitch, and sharing tips on how to view television and film with a critical eye.