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Women in Entertainment Wows FTC

Five Towns College Business Division and FTC Business Club present esteemed panel to provide career advice and celebrate Women’s History Month

By Chrissie Pastrana

 

On Tuesday, March 22nd, the FTC Business Division and FTC Business Club held a Women in Entertainment Discussion Panel in Studio 400. The panelists ranged from different entertainment industry fields, including Jenna LoMonaco from ONErpm, Devra Prywes from Epic Games, Ally Ali from WBLI, Tianna Gratta from WBAB/BLI, and Nina Creese from Music Works/ Music Gaming Castle.

 

With Women’s History Month in full swing, the panelists focused on the importance of inclusion and acceptance in the entertainment industry. Ally Ali, the co-host of WBLI Morning Show, talked about the importance of representation in the workforce, saying, “Radio is particularly a male-dominated industry… As a co-host of a morning show,  I have a responsibility for other women and young girls that are listening.”

 

The panelists also advised the audience on networking, the importance of LinkedIn, and finding mentors. They recalled their particular experiences in the industry. Based on Tianna Gratta’s experience as an Internship Coordinator, she observed how women might tend to work harder than men during interviews. She also emphasized that there is still work that needs to be done. “When we say the system is broken in all aspects, it’s not broken. It was built to keep women and people of color down, and it’s to keep people down until we fight against it.”

 

Other topics covered were the need for confidence when asking for a promotion and how acknowledging uncertainties within the job can be a sign of growth. It is important to have trust within yourself and avoid listening to your inner critic. After the panelists concluded the moderator-led discussion, the floor was opened up for students and staff to ask questions.

 

Mass Comm student Hailey Neumann asked the panelists how to prepare for the workforce. The panelists detailed the importance of producing content and applying for jobs and internships. Students were encouraged to be well-versed in various topics, not be afraid to put content out in the world and focus less on their social media following.

 

Organizing events like these on campus takes time and preparation to find ideal candidates to reach a target audience.  Leah Chambers, the student organizer of the event, recognized the greatest benefit from all of her hard work.  “I think the biggest takeaway from organizing this event has to be all the feedback we got from the panelists.”

 

Samantha Winter, a first-year business audio student, spoke about what the panel meant to her. “I believe that all students at FTC can learn from these inspiring women, especially since the college has the programs that the women in today’s panel specialize in.”