
October 31, 2024
Students, faculty and representatives from New York City’s thriving creative sector filled the 13th floor of the Fiterman Hall conference center for the first-ever Media Arts and Technology (MEA) Internship Discovery Day on October 30.
Students learned about internships, apprenticeships and employment opportunities from representatives from creative fields including animation, motion graphics and video arts as well media programming and graphic design.
Panelists from Google, Omnicom Group and The One Club for Creativity also spoke. The event offered resume assistance, professional headshots and information about career pathways and other opportunities.
BMCC’s MEA department is a participant in the CUNY Inclusive Economy (CIE) Initiative, a unique partnership between the New York City Mayor’s office and CUNY. Partnerships such as CIE enable BMCC’s Media Arts and Technology to build bridges from the classroom to industries that benefit both potential employees and their future employers.

“The Internship Discovery Day was produced by our students who are interns in the MEA Internship Program we call Career Connected Learning, or CCL,” said CIE Industry Specialist for the Media Arts department Susan Stratton. “Students from across our three majors of Animation and Motion Graphics (ANI), Video Arts and Technology (VAT), Multimedia Programming and Design (MMD) participated.”
CIE Hybrid Academic Career Advisor Alex Vasquez said events such as the Internship Discovery Day are vital for all students, regardless of where they are in their academic journey.
“For students who started in the fall, it is a great motivator to explore potential careers within their major and highlights the importance of getting a head start on their resumes and portfolios,” said Vasquez. “For second-year students, the focus shifts to making meaningful connections with industry partners, allowing them to showcase their unique qualities beyond what’s on paper.”
NYC Community Colleges are filled with creative talent
Adrienne Lucas, a guest panelist at the event, is the head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Strategic Partnerships at The One Club for Creativity, a global nonprofit organization that supports the next generation of industry professionals, and seeks to augment their studies in a variety of different ways.
Lucas said the BMCC Internship Discovery Day and others like it are important so that students are aware of the creative industry jobs out there that are available to them.
“Advertising is an incredibly lucrative career and so we’re connecting students with agencies and brands so they can apply to these jobs and show employers that they are qualified for many of these positions,” said Lucas who added that a lot of advertising agencies still look at more traditional ways of finding talent, such as portfolio schools. “Not everyone has the funds to go to those schools and not everyone has awareness that these schools even exist.”
She said there is a wealth of talent among the students at New York City community colleges such as BMCC, that organizations including advertising agencies could mine. .
“Community colleges are a microcosm of New York City, which is a melting pot, where we have people from all different backgrounds, and when we think about the work we do as advertisers, we’re trying to represent the community, and so who better to work on these campaigns than people who are representative of these communities,” said Lucas.
Animation and Motion Graphics major Nashiem Johnson is the Career Connected Learning Club (CCL) president who co-led the Internship Discovery Event. Currently Johnson is pursuing a Digital Marketing apprenticeship at Google. They recently completed an internship at StoryCorps.
“The hands-on experience I gained at StoryCorps prepared me well for this role, especially through practical applications of by BMCC coursework,” said Johnson. “Working with real data, producing marketing content, and analyzing campaign impact at StoryCorps allowed me to expand on skills I’d learned in class. These experiences have definitely strengthened my readiness for the career I want to pursue.”
In five years, Johnson sees themself on a path toward a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, leveraging their marketing and analytical experience to innovate and contribute meaningfully to the field.
Animation and Motion Graphics major and CCL Club secretary Litzy Tapia has loved drawing and telling stories through art since childhood. By the time she got to BMCC, she realized the Animation and Motion Graphics program was a perfect match for her skills and career goals.
“In addition to the CCL Club connecting MEA students with internships at various creative organizations, we also organize field trips and help with resumes, biographies and portfolios,” said Tapia. “In five years, I see myself working at an animation studio. CCL has helped me build on that dream. They’ve taken me on field trips including to the animation studio Titmouse where I was able to connect with various animators, talk with them and learn more about their industry and how to actually apply for position there as well.”
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Event features panels, breakout rooms and opportunities to speak with creative professionals
- Photographer on hand for professional headshots
- BMCC MEA department is participant in CUNY Inclusive Economy initiative