On Tuesday, October 31st, representatives from the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP) visited students from across the state of Mississippi. The forum was held at Tugaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi.
Stacy Milner, EICOP’s Chief Executive Officer, began the program by telling the students about herself and why she started the organization. Milner demonstrated that EICOP was a way to reach back to students who may not be given the opportunity to work for major entertainment companies simply because of the disparities that can be seen when hiring students that graduated from Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) versus students who graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Milner presented a power point presentation which included how students can apply for the various internships offered.
The video also included former interns who spoke about how EICOP has benefited them greatly causing them to receive job offers. Following the presentation, a round house discussion was had featuring Kristena Hatcher, April Barfield, John Gibson, Misha Hurd, Eric Pertilla and Maximus Wright, who are all media professionals.
They shared with students the multifaceted aspects of their careers as well as told them about the hardships they faced to get where they are at today. Barfield, a Public Relations Manager in Talent Acquisition at AEG Worldwide, said, “Block out self-doubt and don’t let fear stop a blessing.” Encouraging advice such as this set the tone for the afternoon as each speaker poured wise words into the audience. At the conclusion of the panel, students got the chance to ask questions. After group photos were taken, the panel speakers sectioned off to their individual tables where students could further ask any questions or discuss Communications related topics.
Asia Thompson, a Senior Mass Communications major at Tugaloo College, stated, “The meeting today was very informative. I was inspired by the panelist because a lot of them come from similar backgrounds as myself. They are in their dream careers and it gives me motivation that I can do the same thing.”
