Point Loma Nazarene University
Contact: Sherene Ebrahimi, Marketing & Promotions Mgr.
Department of Communication and Theatre
Advisor: Alan Hueth (619) 849-2358
Date: October 1, 2008
Written by: Sherene Ebrahimi
PLNU Students Get TV and Film Jobs after Graduation
Three PLNU media communications alumni are following the route that many have taken before them, moving on from campus life and stepping into the world of media.
Michael Stollenwerk, who graduated last spring, is a living success story of finding a career after college. He was an active member of Channel 3 as the Programming and Traffic Manager and says his experience at PLNU and with Channel 3 helped him get his dream job.
Stollenwerk began doing ongoing freelance work for a television start-up company after graduating in May. He also worked as a production assistant and editor, but was soon after offered the position of Multimedia Development Assistant in September at Extron Electronics, a leading manufacturer of audio and visual equipment.
The company is located in Anaheim, but has several international locations. He is currently working on the production team with the training department recording classroom sessions given by the company on how to use the products, developing “how to” recordings for installing and using the products, and doing promotional videos.
“I really like that I get to be a part of each step of production from scriptwriting and everything in between,” said Stollenwerk. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s also very rewarding.”
Chris Konecki, another 2008 alumnus, has been helping with indie productions and promotion work since graduation. He is now working for M Power Pictures in Los Angeles. His company has two films this year: “An American Carol,” directed by David Zucker and starring Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, and Jon Voight, and “The Stoning of Sorayam.”
A third media communications student, Mauricio Perez, has already landed a job in the media industry before graduation. Perez works at Fox 5 News in San Diego part-time as an editor. Once he graduates in December, his job there will most likely become a full-time position.
“I love it,” says Perez about his job at Fox 5. “It’s really a lot of fun. I see myself doing it for a couple years.”
Perez is happy with the schedule his job provides; he works nights, so he has time to work on his own films during the day. His first passion is film and has won many awards for his work.
Upon hearing of Perez’s job at Fox 5, Stollenwerk said, “It’s cool to see that my classmates have been successful.”
Dr. Alan Hueth, Professor of Communication, says that these students are examples of the things he teaches his students in class.
“It really reinforces some things I continue to tell [students] about the importance of broad preparation, in terms of writing and production skills, corporate media, broadcast, and film,” said Hueth.