Saige Wilson served internships with the International Emmy Awards and the Vatican Observatory. Photo by Taylor Ha
What if watching TV shows was your job? For Saige Wilson, a film and television major at Fordham, it was.
Wilson, who grew up in New Jersey, served as a screening intern for the International Emmy Awards. Think Emmys for non-U.S. shows. She found the internship via Handshake, Fordham's one-stop shop for career events and opportunities, and thought, “OK, this is crazy; I have to instantly apply for this.”
“I was really interested in doing award-show work,” says Wilson, who is thinking of pursuing screenwriting for television, and ultimately directing, after graduating. She’s fascinated by the judging process and how certain shows or films are deemed “the best.”
Thanks to the internship, she got an insider’s perspective.
“Seeing all of the entries was really cool because [I was] right at the front of that process,” says Wilson, who screened hundreds of submissions, carefully evaluating them against the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ criteria before forwarding them to the judges for final consideration.
From International TV Stars to Extraterrestrial Ones
The experience opened her eyes to a whole new world of content.
“I really enjoyed seeing how different cultures tackle really similar genres, but with distinct creative perspectives that reflect their artistic traditions,” she says.
A summer internship gave Wilson an opportunity to immerse herself in stars of a different kind. As a social media intern for the Vatican Observatory, she spent her days analyzing Instagram metrics and creating posts to engage followers across various age ranges.
“It was actually my first time working in social media professionally, so it was a steep but exciting learning curve,” she says. “I focused a lot on growing our following while making sure the content stayed true to the Observatory’s mission of making astronomy accessible to everyone.”
Getting Real-World Practice
Wilson, who minored in digital technology and emerging media, says her summer internship was the perfect opportunity to get hands-on experience in some of the concepts she’s learning in class.
“From understanding digital audience behavior to using emerging platforms and technologies to communicate complex scientific ideas, it was great to apply the theoretical framework from my coursework in a real-world setting,” she says.
When it comes to her career goals and life after graduation, Wilson is still interested in screenwriting and directing, but she’s keeping her options open.
“The Vatican Observatory experience really opened my eyes to how digital media can be used in educational and scientific contexts,” she says, “so I’m looking for opportunities where I can build on those skills—whether that’s in science communication, digital marketing, or media production.”