This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Barnard chapter.
Name: Jenna ZweigSchool/year: BC ’15Major: Art History
1. You’ve already made headway in the entertainment business – interning for E!, Bravo, MTV, Warner Bros, and ICM – but where did it all begin? When did you first know you wanted to work in development for reality TV? My first internship at E! was really the spark that lit the fire of my passion for entertainment and development more specifically. I actually received the internship because one of my mom’s patients was the President of Development at E!, Lisa Berger. My mom had been talking with her, and coincidentally, I went to the middle/high school that her kids go to. I had been involved with the theater department there, and after hearing a little bit about me, she encouraged me to apply for their internship program. A few months later, I was in the office and was so inspired by the work the department was doing and everything I was a part of. After that, I continued pursuing internships in Development and ended up at Bravo here in the city. I was so lucky that my passion sort of fell in my lap and that I have been given the opportunity to gain such wonderful experience in the field.
2. Best run-in with a celebrity on the job? One of the best parts of my internships has been getting the opportunity to interact with a ton of awesome people – celebrities included – and I feel so incredibly fortunate. I have had the opportunity to meet people like Kesha, Bethenny Frankel, and Sophia Grace & Rosie, and I’ve worked with Andy Cohen on his talk show. But if I had to pick one fangirl moment from my internships…it would definitely be accidentally getting into an elevator with Josh Duhamel, having him give me his million dollar smile, and then him striking up a conversation with me. I don’t think I have ever been so starstruck in my life, and I had to keep it together for the elevator ride down to the first floor!
3. Plans after graduation? I was so grateful and fortunate to be offered a job at ICM for after graduation. It is one of the most highly respected talent agencies in the business and I had such a great time interning for them last summer. I will be starting in the Mailroom, which is kind of like the classic Hollywood story of starting from the bottom and working your way up. It will be lots of work, but I am so, so excited to start!
4. How has studying Art History played into your passion? My passion for Art History was actually sparked on a trip to Italy with my best friend, Melanie, and her mom during my senior year of high school. I did not have much background on the subject, but that trip has really informed so much of my life. While I will not directly be using my major towards my career, my love of art is something I plan to always keep with me. Art and the history of art is a separate passion that I hope to continue to foster throughout my life.
5. If you were a Real Housewives character, who would you be? This is an easy one. Bethenny Frankel (who is coming back for the next season of RHONY… literally so excited) hands down. Even though she is a controversial figure in the tabloids, she has created a business from the ground up, turned it into a lifestyle brand, and has done it all while on television with her life exposed to the world.
6. If a reality show was filmed at Barnard, it would be called: “Wonder Women” – focused around DSpar and her awesomeness.