JACKSON – Jackson Memorial High School graduate Emily Dolan won two awards during the Television Academy Foundation’s 42nd College Television Awards, which recognizes excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the nation.
Dolan had been nominated along with 13 of her classmates at Montclair State University in the News category for “New Orleans/Raging Storms.” She served as a director, producer and writer on the project, which was selected from over 132 submissions from colleges and universities nationwide by Television Academy members.
“Our New Orleans project won the award in the News category. I am so honored and excited that we won. We also won the Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award. The Humanitarian award means a lot to me because my goal for this project was to give the people of New Orleans a voice and be able to tell their stories which is what this award highlights,” Dolan said.
She added, “this project allowed me to work collaboratively with others as well as broaden my own independent skills. On behalf of myself and my fellow students, I would like to thank the Television Academy Foundation for hosting the College Television Awards.
“The education I received through the Jackson School District thoroughly prepared me for the academic rigor of college. It also helped me to explore my creativity as I learned about the media industry and specific techniques in video editing. Within JMHS, I participated in the Digital Media Academy with Anthony Competillo as my teacher during all four years. ‘Mr. C,’ as he was known to his students, instilled in me a passion for learning about broadcast and digital media,” Dolan said.
She said she was aware that “Mr. C had recently retired, he will always remain as one of my favorite teachers. Attending my video classes was definitely my favorite part of my school day. The academy gave me the opportunity to learn pre- and post-production skills and also inspired my interest in various other aspects of the media industry.”
“New Orleans/Raging Storms,” a Montclair News Lab Special Edition, focuses on a group of student journalists who travel to New Orleans to report on two key issues: climate change and racial injustice.
The 2023 College Television Awards nominees attended a special screening of all nominated projects alongside members of the Television Academy, an industry-professionals networking breakfast, Hollywood studio visits and additional career-enhancing activities before the red-carpet awards show.
“The entire trip to New Orleans was such an amazing and interesting experience! This was my first time participating in an out-of-state field reporting project so you can imagine how excited I was to embark on this journey. This trip was part of a course called ‘On The Road’ which is offered at Montclair University. Throughout the semester my classmates and myself were encouraged to participate in every aspect of the production process,” Dolan said.
The awards show included celebrity presenters including Emmy winning producer/director and Foundation alumna Shari Cookson (“The Memory Loss Tapes”), Scott Evans (“Access Hollywood”), Kim Fields (“The Upshaws”), Ginger Gonzaga (“She Hulk: Attorney at Law”/”True Lies”), Christine Ko (“Only Murders in the Building;” “Dave;” “The Handmaid’s Tale”), Jaren Lewison (“Never Have I Ever”), Camilla Luddington (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Nathan Mitchell (“The Boys;” “Ginny & Georgia”) and Lauren Potter (“Glee;” “Chicago Med;” “Veep”).
Jackson Memorial High School graduate Emily Dolan won two awards from the Television Academy Foundation’s 42nd College Television Awards. (Photo courtesy Emily Dolan)
She said, “I was thrilled to produce a segment that highlighted a non-profit organization that is involved in valuable oyster shell recycling. My favorite part of the trip was getting to travel all around the state of Louisiana and having the opportunity to speak with a variety of people from diverse backgrounds. As journalists, we were able to give these individuals a ‘voice’ for which to tell their stories and potentially, obtain the resources they need.”
Dolan shared her future plans with The Jackson Times. “Currently, I am interning at NBCUniversal in New York City as an original content intern for TODAY All day. This internship with NBCU has opened up a wide variety of exciting opportunities for me. Specifically, I have been able to shadow producers, edit video projects and participate in various production meetings.
“Post production has always been my favorite part of the Broadcast and Digital Media field and I am looking forward to working within the industry. My future goals include obtaining a position within a major news organization where I can work as a member of their post production team. In addition, over time, I would also like to explore more advanced leadership positions and possibly, move into the role of producer,” Dolan said.
Dolan said she spends most of her time in Montclair finishing her senior year at Montclair State University. “While my family relocated to Brick, in 2020, I frequently enjoy visiting my hometown to spend time with my lifelong friends who live in Jackson.”
Links of the two award presentations include emmys.com/video/42nd-college-television-awards-news and emmys.com/video/42nd-college-television-awards-seymour-bricker-humanitarian-award.
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