It took many hours of research and many Google searches for Lauren Locke, a Texas Tech graduate student, to find her dream internship.
But the effort paid off. This fall, she is hard at work at the Rockefeller Center in New York as an intern for the “The Meredith Vieira Show.”
“It still gives me chills walking to work every day,” Locke said.
Celebrities are a common sight. For example, she said she recently saw Blake Shelton in the elevator.
Photo provided by Lauren Locke.
“Obviously, you have to act totally calm, cool and collected,” Locke said. “You can’t fan-girl over anybody. You would think that, seeing so many celebrities, you would be totally star-struck, but it almost just becomes a second nature.”
Other shows produced at the Rockefeller Center include “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with Seth Myers,” “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Today Show.”
Locke contacted “The Meredith Vieira Show” last year and found it offered only fall internships. She went to New York over spring break, met the production coordinator and stayed in touch.
Over the summer, she interned at a digital media agency in New York. Finally, good news arrived: The Meredith Vieira Show was offering her a fall internship.
The show’s interns take on different responsibilities each day. They run errands, help with lighting and compile news notes about hot topics. Her favorite part is helping during field shoots.
“Its nice because we get to experience all sections,” Locke said.
Photo provided by Lauren Locke.
She also fulfilled a 12-year-old dream to meet a member of the boy band NSYNC. Recently, Locke surprised Lance Bass, a former member of the band and a panelist on the show, by bringing in Joey Fatone, another past NSYNC member.
Locke said she hopes to continue working in production after graduating in December. Alternatively, she is interested in working for a television network.
Locke’s success in New York comes after getting some broadcast experience with MCTV, the College of Media & Communication newscast.
Josh Robinson, the COMC media production manager, described her as a go-getter.
“When she came in, she had very little experience in terms of shooting things, ” Robinson said. “But she had a good eye for things and had a real desire to want to do it well.”
Robinson said he and his student assistant took her out to teach her the basics of shooting video and the editing process.
Locke impressed him because she was a reliable student who produced good packages for MCTV.
MCTV provided her with an opportunity to learn content production–both by being on-air and helping behind the scene, Robinson said.
“She enjoyed learning and really did embrace it,” he said. “I worked with her on several occasions, and she picked up on it pretty quick. Probably when the Meredith Vieira Show interviewed her they saw that in her and saw it as an asset.”
Photo provided by MCTV.
For those searching for jobs or internships, Locke has one word of advice: network. It was her sorority sisters who helped her get in contact with “The Meredith Vieira Show” production coordinator.
“If you do end up moving to New York or LA or a big city like this, meet as many people as you can,” Locke said. “Ask for advice to get to where you want to be because you never know where it might lead you. Don’t be intimidated by the city because if this is your dream, don’t let anything hold you back.”
If she had let her fears hold her back, she said, she would not be starting her career in New York.
“There’s just something really magical about these places,” Locke said. “It gives you that extra push to go the extra mile to follow your dreams.”
About Natalie Morales
