Madeline Paige ’19 has made great strides in a career she adores, crediting Elon for the ambition that propels her forward.
Though her trajectory was nontraditional, Madeline Paige ’19 was committed to maximizing her time at Elon. Paige faced financial obstacles that frequently interrupted her Elon experience; but luckily they never kept her away for long.
“The people, the professors and my own professional ambition were the things that empowered me to persevere and finish my degree in 2019,” she said. Elon’s theatre program — which was the initial draw for Paige — as well as the extracurricular activities related to her cinema & television arts major were among those motivators.
“My biggest and most cherished extra-curricular activity was Elon Tonight,” she said. “I made some of my very best Elon friends in that group, earned my first directing and producing credits on Elon Tonight sets, and spent several seasons in what quickly became my favorite place to be: the writers’ room.”
Paige was also an executive member of CinElon, worked with Elon football, was a resident advisor, and was a proud Kappa Delta.
“The resilience that I developed throughout my college experience has 100% stuck with me throughout my career,” she said. “I took a leap of faith into a new area of the theatre industry in 2021, and that choice has led me to the role I’m in today.”
Paige dreamed about working in the Broadway industry her entire life and that dream finally came true when she got a position with the Broadcast Podcast Network (BPN). She managed the company’s social media for two years and then got a digital marketing managerial position.
“I’ve worked opening nights on Broadway, attended and covered the Tony Awards, and had my work celebrated by people I’ve looked up to for years. It’s an absolute privilege to make my living as part of this industry,” said Paige, who even had the opportunity to produce promotional interviews with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked.” But a moment she’s most proud of is designing a billboard in Times Square this past fall.
“Pinch me,” she said, about getting to see her work in Times Square.
In the future, Paige hopes to become more involved in developing scripted audio content. Her growth during her tenure at BPN is thanks to the ambition she fostered at Elon.
“I think the relationships built there — both among ambitious students, but also with professors who are active in their fields outside of the classroom — create an encouraging environment,” she said. “I feel very lucky to have learned from so many people during my time at Elon.”
While rewarding, Paige’s career is not without its challenges. It has been particularly difficult to adapting the live entertainment industry in a post-COVID world, especially working as a digital marketer.
“It’s been fascinating (and sometimes stressful) to watch audience trends pivot in the last few years,” she said. “I can definitely say that my learning experiences have not stopped after college!”
Thankfully, Elon prepared Paige to be a lifelong learner and taught her the value of putting yourself out there. Fear is not entirely out of the picture, but Elon taught her that the benefits of taking control of your learning far outweigh the risks. Paige is a more confident professional as a result. She advises current students to take similar advantage of the environment that fostered her confidence.
“Know that this degree and the experiences you choose to embrace while at Elon can do more things for you than you may have imagined,” she said. “The teenager who said a very enthusiastic ‘yes!’ to everything she could in college is definitely still in me, and I’m very thankful for all of her choices. Your dream does not need a backup plan Just go for it!”
Follow along as Paige pursues her dreams via her Instagram @MadPaigeProd.