{"id":222613,"date":"2023-11-29T17:10:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T22:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=222613"},"modified":"2023-12-01T08:56:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T13:56:38","slug":"montclair-journalism-students-thrive-through-nbcu-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/11\/29\/montclair-journalism-students-thrive-through-nbcu-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Montclair Journalism Students Thrive through NBCU Partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almost two dozen students have received scholarships through a partnership program between Montclair State University and NBCUniversal\u2019s NBCU Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Launched in 2021 by NBCU, the initiative provides students from colleges and universities with accredited journalism programs with scholarships, education, on-campus training and online programming. Schools are invited to participate and students are able to work and learn from NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo professionals. Montclair was invited to partner in 2022 and is seeing the benefits of that alliance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis partnership has been transformative to our School and our students,\u201d says School of Communication and Media Director Keith Strudler. \u201cIt has provided incredible access to NBC, their expertise and their talent. It has also helped our students to be more on the radar of NBCU recruiters for career opportunities. And of course, it has provided scholarship opportunities for our students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seniors Terry Dickerson, Lynise Olivacce, Ashleigh Corby and Charlie Falotico are among the 10 Montclair students to receive scholarships this semester. The competition for funds, which are used to help offset tuition costs, called for submissions from journalism or \u201cjournalism adjacent\u201d majors who \u201chave shown a commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in media,\u201d according to <\/span>Skyler Malchiodi, coordinator of Special Projects and Events for the School of Communication and Media<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really appreciative that NBC was doing this and focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion because it\u2019s important to have those stories told,\u201d says Olivacce, editor-in-chief of <\/span>The Montclarion<\/span><\/em> and a two-time scholarship winner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dickerson echoes those sentiments: \u201cIt helps me showcase something that I\u2019m passionate about, giving voice to underserved communities.\u201d Her submissions included a WMSC radio piece on Sammy Rae, a singer who identifies as queer, and a <\/span>Montclarion<\/span><\/em> story about a neurodivergent teen in <\/span>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time<\/span><\/em>, a production of Montclair\u2019s Department of Theatre and Dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Journalism and Digital Media major and Criminal Justice and Justice and Families double minor, Olivacce submitted a couple of <\/span>Montclarion<\/span><\/em> articles on the Native African Student Organization\u2019s Sankofa celebration and the visit by Afro-Italian poet and singer Amir Issaa, for which she also took all of the photographs. Prior to being named <\/span>Montclarion<\/span><\/em> editor-in-chief, she served as director of photography for the student newspaper.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Senior and scholarship winner Ashleigh Corby, who interns at CNBC, spends time in Montclair\u2019s News Lab.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Corby served as a senior producer for #FOCUS, a collaboration among all campus media outlets, submitted a 30-minute news magazine show that featured stories on Rocky\u2019s Closet and the lack of inclusion in the fashion industry. She says she\u2019s grateful for the financial support: \u201cAny money will help get me through the next semester, so I know my parents were also very excited and proud of me. It was great to see that all of the time that I put into it had a big pay off.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Film and Television major, Falotico, whose video submissions featured Ajamu Kojo’s <\/span>Black<\/span> Wall Street: A Case for Reparations<\/span><\/em> art exhibition at University Galleries and \u201cMontclair Students Support Ukraine,\u201d says: \u201cDEI is important to me as a future journalist as it allows for a more inclusive environment where more stories can be told.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Senior Film and Television major and scholarship winner Charlie Falotico interns at WNBC in New York.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Already, he is looking ahead to doing production and post-production work after graduation. \u201cThe major benefit of winning this scholarship for me is the opportunities to further network with industry professionals,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

While not formally a part of NBCU Academy, three of these four students are currently interning for NBC networks: Olivacce and Falotico both intern at NBC flagship WNBC at the iconic 30 Rock in Manhattan, while Corby serves as a talent development intern for CNBC in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Dickerson interns for the media outlet TAPinto Westfield, where she recently covered a Westfield Town Council meeting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur students continue to have success in earning and thriving in internships at NBC across a broad range of our majors, including, of course, journalism and digital media,\u201d says Strudler. \u201cI believe NBC recognizes that Montclair\u2019s School of Communication and Media prepares students who are hardworking, talented and who come to their internships with first-rate skills and experiences. And our inclusion in the NBCU Academy has only strengthened the pipeline between Montclair and 30 Rock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Senior scholarship winner Terry Dickerson in Montclair\u2019s News Lab.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The passion and commitment of these future journalists is evident.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a storyteller who has experience in all types of media,\u201d Dickerson says. \u201cI started off in print, I did radio, and now I’m in broadcasting. For me, it\u2019s not about the platform on which I get to tell the story, it\u2019s the fact that I get to do it, period.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dickerson knows firsthand the importance of DEI. \u201cI\u2019m a woman of color who, like many others, didn\u2019t grow up seeing myself reflected on the screen,\u201d she says, \u201cMy goal as a journalist is to be a part of the change and to make sure that we reflect everybody that’s a part of this country.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Olivacce, who works 20 hours a week in addition to being a full-time student, says her work is fun and educational. \u201cI\u2019m able to basically experience what it\u2019s like to be in the newsroom,\u201d she says. \u201cMy first day, there was a special report, and I was able to see how that goes down behind the scenes and people thinking on their feet. I’m learning a lot about the industry, so it\u2019s really helpful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Olivacce writes stories for the station\u2019s website, and she hopes to have some of her photos soon featured on nbcnewyork.com.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Olivacce is editor-in-chief of <\/span>The Montclarion<\/span><\/em>, Montclair\u2019s student newspaper and interns at WNBC New York. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Corby started as a summer intern at CNBC and was invited to stay on through the academic school year. She provides research to an editorial team, pulls excerpts from books for author interviews and does camera testing for potential new hires. She\u2019ll be interning through April and is considering applying to be a page post-graduation. \u201cIt’s been a really good experience so far,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

NBCU Academy is currently partnered with 45 academic universities, community colleges and institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and colleges with significant Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Indigenous and tribal populations \u2013 reaching students from underrepresented backgrounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

When announcing the partnership with Montclair, <\/span>Yvette Miley, senior vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for NBCU News Group said: \u201cThe way we gather and consume news is consistently evolving. Through NBCU Academy, we\u2019re forging a generation of diverse journalists that are ahead of the curve on media technologies and have a deep understanding of a range of industries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To that effort, NBCU professionals have conducted \u201cmany mock interviews with students that help them prepare for what an internship interview would look like,\u201d says Special Projects and Events coordinator <\/span>Malchiodi. \u201cIt also <\/span>gives students the opportunities to network, prepare and learn about what the career force is going to be like after they leave college.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, Strudler says the partnership has been beneficial to Montclair and other students. \u201cWe were able to host part of NBCU Academy\u2019s Next Level Summit at Montclair in 2022, giving them a firsthand perspective on news media production,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause of our partnership, three of our students were guests of NBC Sports for the 2023 Sunday Night Football opening game at MetLife Stadium as the Giants played the Cowboys. Our students shadowed NBC talent and staff all evening and had the opportunity to share their experiences with the entire NBCU Academy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things we\u2019re most proud of is creating an online course in Spanish Language Journalism in partnership with NBCU Academy,\u201d Studler says. \u201cOur faculty and staff worked with NBC Academy leadership and NBC talent to create an online course that is available on the Academy web portal and is available for universities across the country, including all those in the Academy. This is the first course created as a partnership between NBC and a university for the Academy, and we know it benefits both our students and those across the country.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Story by Staff Writer<\/span> Sylvia A. Martinez<\/b><\/a>. Photos by University Photographer<\/span> Mike Peters<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n