New members of the Junior Board include, clockwise from top right, Melyssa Guzmán, Becky Budds, Ronan Morrissey, Samantha Albert, and Lauren Yaccino. (DePaul University composite/Randall Spriggs)
Five DePaul students and alumni have been named to the inaugural Junior Board of
the Chicago-Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. This organization, known as NATAS, is most known for its annual Emmy Awards.
Blue Demons selected for the 30-member board are:
- Samantha Albert, a senior studying communication and media.
- Becky Budds, a senior studying journalism and public relations.
- Melyssa Guzmán, who earned a BA in journalism and now produces multimedia content.
- Ronan Morrissey, a senior studying film and television.
- Lauren Yaccino, a senior studying film and television.
The Junior Board, the first of its kind for an NATAS chapter, will connect the academy more fully with younger content creators and broadcast and production talent and technicians. It will also offer networking opportunities with some of the Midwest's top working professionals.
"It's an honor to have been selected for the first NATAS Junior Board," Yaccino says. "I am excited to be a part of this prestigious organization and have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow young creatives."
"We are beyond thrilled with the scope of knowledge these young people will bring to our organization," says Rebekah Cowing, the chapter's executive director.
Junior Board members were selected from 17 colleges and universities in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Each member will serve a two-year term, through May 2023, and sit on committees focused on outreach, social media, education, workshops and seminars, and more.