Milner speaking to students about HBCU in L.A.
Students from all majors gathered in the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication lecture hall two days before Spring Break to hear about internship opportunities in California.
HBCU in L.A. is a program designed to provide a bridge to predominantly black schools for entertainment jobs, and aims to help diversify the industry.
The program is funded by the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program, which spent a day speaking with FAMU students, offering advice on how to apply and get engaged in their passion. Stacy Milner, founder of the EIOCP, kicked off the day with a motivational speech that would have had the average bystander ready to apply for the program. Milner was followed by her husband and president of Executive Temps, Ted Milner. Disney recruiter, Irshaun Pinckney finished off the hour-long informational discussing opportunities with the mega company.
“We are placing students with major studios, networks, talent agencies and a whole host of industry organizations,” Stacy Milner said. “The opportunities are from behind the scenes, legal and marketing. We have production and technology, it’s across the board.”
After a successful inaugural year that featured a few FAMU students, the program is traveling the country, looking for 20 new recruits for the summer. Interested students who applied were granted interviews and others had the chance to sit down and discuss future plans with the recruiters.
“We actually have a tradition of hiring FAMU students into our internships,” Pinckney said. ESPN has had some success with FAMU as well as some of our other Disney segments.”
One thing the trio of recruiters echoed and tried to instill in the students was the importance of applying. Whether applying for internships with their companies or the many others in the entertainment industry, they made it known that you can’t capitalize off of an opportunity if you never had a seat at the table.
Ted Milner wants students to know it’s not that hard to get into the industry. “Apply. I think most students make it difficult in their mind because they think they’re so far away. I see students that can outshine some of the people who are already employed.”
The recruiters spent about six hours speaking and interviewing students.
“There’s a breath of talent and strength that comes from diversity,” shared Stacy Milner. “In particular, because of this program with HBCUs, our goal is to make sure we have that talent in the room.”