Students Gain Experience Through Multicultural MAIP Fellowship

By Nisvan Guzman

Three AD/PR students have been selected to receive a prestigious Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) Fellowship this year: Brandon Cruz, Nicole Figueroa, and Lizbeth Hernandez.

Started by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4 A’s), the program was created to provide students of multicultural backgrounds with the opportunity to work in the advertising, communications, and marketing industries; interact with industry professionals; and gain valuable professional credentials to secure their first job in the industry, according to their website.

The application process begins during the fall semester and includes creating a short video, submitting a resume, unofficial transcripts, and two letters of recommendation. Then there is an interview process and, if selected, the student becomes a MAIP fellow. On selection day, agencies and companies select fellows to begin an internship with that company.

MAIP Fellow Nicole Figueroa had the opportunity to work with the Walt Disney Company, one of the largest media companies in the world.

“I was super excited and honestly surprised to see I landed an internship with such an amazing company like Disney!” senior Nicole Figueroa said. “I will be working with the production team on various tasks related to the trailers they create for Disney. I love what Disney represents in the sense that they inspire people and are a company that values creativity and authenticity.”

Brandon Cruz, a junior and new MAIP Fellow, also had the opportunity to work with Disney.

“When I found out I was selected to work for Disney, I was literally in disbelief! I was certain I was going to be selected but I figured it would be a company that wasn't that well known. So when I saw it was Disney that chose me I was beyond grateful and called all my close friends to tell them the news,” said Cruz, who grew up a fan of Disney movies and also enjoys the Marvel and Star Wars franchises.

The MAIP Fellowship got onto Cruz’s radar when his AD/PR instructor Chris Russo mentioned it to him during the past summer session. He recalls that the application process was both challenging and fun.

“I enjoyed making my ‘Get to Know Me’ video, and creating my website to show my portfolio. Outside of Russo and a former employer writing my letters of recommendation, I did everything else on my own,” said Cruz. Cruz expects to learn as much as possible and hopes this opens doors for him within Disney or other reputable companies in the industry.

Lizbeth Hernandez, a senior, applied for the MAIP fellowship in November 2021, a process she claims was, “long, but exhilarating and entirely worth it.” She couldn’t be more excited and proud that her hard work paid off. She completed her internship remotely over the summer with the research team of SSCG Media Group,

As a Mexican-American, she hopes to bring a unique perspective to the program and, she says, “challenge social norms by making sure the messages that I put out are diverse, equitable, and inclusive.”

“I hope to network with both students like myself and industry professionals and just absorb all the knowledge that I can,” Hernandez said about what she looked forward to most during the internship. “I want to learn everything about the advertising industry. MAIP provides that bridge of opportunity for students.”