MACON – Rising senior Devyn Harrod was recently selected as Mercer University’s first-ever participant in the Television Academy Foundation’s Internship Program.
Harrod, from Atlanta, is a double-major in media studies and Spanish with a minor in communication. She will spend eight weeks this summer in Los Angeles and the surrounding area to gain in-depth exposure to professional television production.
“Devyn embodies what our department wants for all our students – the ability to work hard and believe that they can take what they’ve learned at Mercer out into the world,” said Dr. Michele Prettyman Beverly, assistant professor of media studies. “She’s been prepared to write and think critically and to imagine herself not just as a consumer or even a student of media, but as a creator. I know that she’ll make a big impact as an intern and beyond.”
The Television Academy Foundation, based in Los Angeles, hosts the Emmy Awards. The foundation annually provides internships to 50 college students in 30 different categories at host companies such as ABC Studios, CBS, HBO, The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Fox TV Studios, E! Entertainment, NBC Universal, Warner Bros. and many more.
Harrod was one of six students selected in the development category and will work at Daniel L. Paulson Productions, a production company in Beverly Hills, as a development intern. She will be responsible for reading and analyzing scripts for upcoming projects and writing coverage. Coverage is when one summarizes and analyzes the plot of the screenplay and submits a review and analysis of the screenplay’s effectiveness in various areas: concept, story structure, story development, characters, dialogue and writing styles.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Television Academy Foundation’s internship program and to represent the University as the first Mercer student selected,” said Harrod. “This internship is a big step in helping advance my career goals. However, I would never have been able to take part in it without the Department of Journalism and Media Studies here at Mercer. The professors have been so supportive and encouraging of my academic and personal goals. I hope to learn more about the media industry and the ways in which stories are crafted and affect their audiences.”
Harrod is one of the founders and vice president of the newly established Mercer Film Society. She is a member of Phi Eta Sigma, where she was recently appointed senior advisor, as well as The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Golden Key International Honour Society. She also won the Outstanding Junior in Media Studies Award at this year’s Honors Convocation.
She has participated in internships with the Freedom School, a local summer school to improve children’s literacy skills, and the Trumpet Awards Foundation to assist in the award show’s production each January.
Harrod plans to attend law school to specialize in entertainment law or pursue a master’s degree in entertainment industry management.
For more information on the Television Academy Foundation Internship Program, visit www.emmys.com/internship.