Lights, Camera,
Emmy Student scores first-of-its-kind internship, helps win coveted award by Rosemary F. Segura (B.A. ’12) Photo by Josh Huskin
It’s common for St. Mary’s students to land prestigious internships. But how many walk away with a pair of Lone Star EMMY Awards? Jesús Garcia, a senior from El Paso, did. Last spring, the Speech Communication and Music major participated in the first year of “Proyecto U” (Project U) — a first-of-itskind program hosted by local Univision affiliate KWEX in partnership with San Antonio schools, including St. Mary’s University. The program provided students hands-on and on-air experience working in a newsroom with professional news personnel as mentors. Guided by experts, students worked in pairs, with one behind the camera — Garcia’s specialty — and the other as the on-air talent. These teams would identify interesting stories and pitch 90-second videoversions of their story ideas during editorial meetings, complete with interviews, sound bites and a reporter voice-over. “My partner and I went outside of what most others were willing to put in, and our packages were consistently chosen,” he said proudly. For three weeks, the teams’ pre-recorded stories aired during the station’s weekend broadcasts. The fourth week, the participants were in charge of an entire live 5 p.m. broadcast. They literally ran the show: in front of the camera, behind it and even in the booth. That night, Garcia worked as an audio operator in Master Control. “It was great because no other station has ever allowed students to do that,” he said. “Ever.” Students helped Proyecto U to win Lone Star EMMYs in the categories of community service and education. “It was exciting just to get the nomination. I never imagined being part of a project like this.” ■
Spring 2013
G OL D & B LU E
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