Sierra McDonald had already secured a number of entertainment internships by the time she heard about Promo Pathway, a producer/editor training program developed in partnership with PromaxBDA and Santa Monica College. But there was something appealing about immersing herself in the world of on-air promotion.

“As a journalism major, I have a passion for storytelling,” McDonald tells Brief. “Promo in its true essence is storytelling in a concise manner, and this was a part of the entertainment industry that I didn’t have much insight into.”

McDonald is now taking what she learned in Promo Pathway with her as she starts this year as a sophomore at Howard University in Washington, D.C., thanks to Santa Monica College’s coveted Chui L. Tsang Transfer Scholarship.

The annual award helps an independent student who has received no assistance from their parents, but has still put themselves through college. It provides $15,000 a year for two years so a student can complete their bachelor degree.

At Santa Monica College, McDonald served as a President’s Ambassador, and was a board member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

Through the industry access and support PromaxBDA provides for the students of Promo Pathway, Sierra identified and earned an internship at A+E Networks this summer as an on-air marketing intern. She previously worked as an intern for Tavis Smiley on PBS, Dick Clark Productions, and Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance.

Asked what she likes about on-air promo, her answer comes quickly: “It’s the creative. I like the conceptualization of ideas,” McDonald says.

Promo Pathway is the first accredited on-air promotions training program in the United States. The intensive 12-month program trains creative talent to write, produce and edit on-air promotions and is designed to fast track a pipeline of diverse creative talent into the television entertainment marketing industry.

“The partnership is the perfect collaboration between academia and industry. PromaxBDA brings the industry access, expertise and mentorship and Santa Monica College provides the academic preparation,” said Katerina Zacharia, vice president of membership development at PromaxBDA. “It’s a win-win. Together we are preparing and activating the next generation of promotion talent.”

McDonald said that Promo Pathway has helped her develop a much more critical eye when she’s watching TV.

“Now, I can connect certain content to certain brands. For example I’ll think ‘this show seems very FX-like, or Lifetime-like, or Bravo-like,” she says.

Post-Howard, McDonald hopes to work her way up through one of the broadcast or cable networks. The ultimate prize she’s eyeing: programming boss at a major broadcast network. Executives, you’ve been warned.

For more on Promo Pathway, visit PromaxBDA.org.

Tags:


  Save as PDF