The Elon University junior will participate in the Television Academy Foundation program, fondly dubbed the “Emmy’s internship,” this summer.
Jordan Young ’22 recently received a voice message from the Television Academy. And while the message delivered good news, Young said she still called back to confirm. Hours later, she knew for certain that she had been accepted into the Television Academy’s “Star Trek” Command Training Program, a highly prestigious internship with a less than 2 percent acceptance rate. As an intern, Young will work on different aspects of production related to the “Star Trek” franchise.
“I was super excited, I was super ecstatic. I called my parents,” the cinema and television arts BFA major and Honors Fellow said. “I was over the moon about it.”
CBS Studios and the Television Academy Foundation partnered to offer the “Star Trek” internships and fellowships as part of the foundation’s education initiatives. Open to undergraduate and graduate students across the country, the “Star Trek” Command Training Program champions the core values of inclusion, access and opportunity.
The internship provides paid remote opportunities on a “Star Trek” series and student participants receive a 360-degree immersion in the production process of the “Star Trek” Universe. Selected interns will be actively engaged in writers’ rooms, wardrobe design, on-set production, animation and post-production on Los Angeles-based programs.
As a “Star Trek” and science fiction fan, Young said she is excited to learn more about the specific genre “Star Trek” falls into, as well as how diversity and inclusion factors into the franchise.
“I want to learn more about diversity and representation in Hollywood, and how that works within ‘Star Trek’ specifically, but I think it can probably be applied, broader, just to the general television industry as well,” Young said.
Associate Professor Rachel Raimist, who serves as the academic director of the Elon in Los Angeles program, mentored Young and first mentioned the program during her Winter Term course, “The Push for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Hollywood.” The program is fondly dubbed the “Emmy’s internship” because, when the internship is held face-to-face, the students often hold an Emmy on their first day, Raimist explained.
Raimist has mentored previous interns before, and she said she is excited for Young to gain insight into the craft and industry through the experience.
“I believe that in addition to her passion and talent for this area of industry, Jordan works incredibly hard – but the entertainment industry is notoriously challenging to break into,” Raimist said. “This internship will expose her to professionals who would likely be people who would give her her first industry job or refer her to others – which is how much of hiring in Hollywood happens.”
Associate Professor Doug Kass, who serves as Young’s academic adviser, said he was not surprised when she expressed interest in the “Star Trek” program. As a student in his screenwriting class, Young’s work veered toward the supernatural, science fiction and surreal. Kass said internships are what students make of them, and he said he had no doubt Young’s experience with the program would be valuable.
“She is going to get everything she possibly can from this opportunity and, at the end of it, she’s going to have a great first-hand experience in the business, and some very valuable contacts who will be impressed by her talent and what she brings to the table,” Kass said.
As part of the program, interns will also receive weekly online evening professional development, including panels with television industry leaders, customized seminars on building a brand and navigating the job market ahead, and access to foundation alumni.