Boom Chicago - Amsterdam, NL - August 2022 to August 2023

During my studies at the UvA, I became fascinated with preserving the ephemeral, capturing the liveness and spontaneity of communal experience. I merged this concept with my lifelong love of comedy — in fact, my first job was bussing tables at my hometown comedy club.

In 2022, as an intern, I initiated the project of creating an institutional archive at this infamous comedy institution. With their 30th anniversary and 3rd annual Comedy Festival coming up, I worked independently to create a digital archival infrastructure with a client-oriented, use-based framework to ensure long-term access. With a digital collection and catalog, I collaborated with the marketing team to launch a Throwback Thursday campaign to generate nostalgia and raise awareness of upcoming festivities. I reinvigorated the network of alumni performers to organize an up-to-date, comprehensive digital yearbook on Boom’s website, and to enrich the archive with communal assets and descriptions. Finally, I managed the project of curating, designing, printing, and installing a timeline exhibition that remains in the theater today. I acted as a liaison between founding members, building managers, a graphic designer, and beyond to honor Boom Chicago’s legacy in this physical embodiment of their storied history.

In this role, I strengthened the following archival and project management skills:

• Planning a preservation strategy and balancing a long-term project with day-to-day priorities

• Conducting physical and digital asset management for photo, video, and paper collections

• Cataloging records with metadata to allow searchability and ensure quality, up-to-date contextual description

• Managing alumni outreach and maintaining personnel records

• Curating photo and video material to paint a representative presentation of the theater’s 30-year history

• Presenting a proactive collection plan for continuation of the digital archive

LAC Group at ABC News - New York, NY - August 2019 to July 2021

If you walked into our office, you might think we were piecing together a cold case. Bulletin boards adorned the dingy walls, lined with headshots, only two of which remained unscathed, eluding the ill-fated red "X." Late at night, you'd find me there: eyes bloodshot, leg bouncing, maniacally clacking on my keyboard as if the words will evaporate if I don't get them down immediately much like the trail of smoke rising from my forgotten cigar of mostly ash.

That last detail isn't true but it articulates the Noir-ish energy of an evening covering a presidential campaign rally. As a Media Logger at ABC News, I engaged with a critical moment in history literally to the letter, transcribing and archiving events for the 2020 American Presidential election.

What began with stump speeches, gaggles, and debates escalated to impeachment hearings, coronavirus press conferences, protests for racial justice, and the January 6th insurrection. The gravity of this assignment inspired me to pursue higher education in this field to enhance practice and understanding.

As a logger, I practiced:

• Organizing and cataloging assets with supplemental data to enrich and contextualize archival content in a DMAC digital database

• Monitoring entries to ensure accuracy, data standardization, and uniform collection assignment

• Corresponding with journalists in the field, and proactively supported editorial coverage

• Remaining calm in a fast-paced environment in order to meet the time-sensitive needs of the network

University Union - Syracuse, NY - May 2018 to May 2019

As a leader on my university’s official programming board, I worked to bring thoughtful, timely, entertaining events to the student body. With the interest of the audience in mind, I booked three large scale events including a cooking demonstration + Q&A with Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski, a stand-up comedy show featuring Vanessa Bayer, John Early, and Sabring Jalees, as well as a performance by Tiffany Haddish.

In this role, I practiced:

• Corresponding & negotiating with talents agents to book comedians and speakers

• Facilitating and coordinating live events, from venue staff to security to volunteers

• Flexibility and adaptability in responding to the spontaneous challenges of live events

• Collaborating with design, marketing, and public relations teams to create, optimize, and distribute promotional materials

Red Hour Films - Los Angeles, CA - January to August 2018

To supplement my studies in screenwriting and production, I spent a semester in Los Angeles to better understand the realities of the entertainment industry. I watched projects go from a stack of scripts to casting to the editing bay including Plus One (2019) and AppleTV’s Severance. I enjoyed seeing scripts come to life, and learned a lot about writing by reading stories and writing comprehensive coverage.

As an intern, I:

• Critically analysed submitted source materials and drafted original comments regarding character, structure, theme, and tone

• Evaluated projects for compatibility with the company goals and oeuvre

• Compiled talent lists and checked their availability

• Assisted in research, reception, and general administrative office needs