Fifth Cycle of the Gotham EDU Program Includes Scholarships in Support of Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds, Internship Placements, and Focus Areas in Entrepreneurship, Representation, and Digital Storytelling

New York, NY (June 17, 2024) – The Gotham announced today its selections for the Summer 2024 cohort of The Gotham EDU Film and Media Career Development Program, The Gotham’s eight-week program for catapulting students into the media workforce with mentorship, candid industry insights, comprehensive resources, and support in developing their selected projects.

The expanded 2024 curriculum will span networking, development, pitching, marketing, public relations, independent filmmaking, television writing, digital storytelling, and entrepreneurship, with workshops, peer-to-peer sessions, and open conversations that allow students to explore opportunities and carve a strategic path into the media industry. In previous EDU cycles, session leaders have come from Showtime, FilmNation, Amblin, CAA, Archer Gray, PBS, Cinereach, and MTV.

“We are thrilled to host 30 students from colleges and universities around the country for this year’s Gotham EDU Career Development program,” said The Gotham’s Deputy Director, Kia Brooks. “Providing resources and access to industry leaders will help shape the bright futures of these remarkable students.”

The Film and Media Career Development Program is supported through corporate sponsorships including: MoviePass and MTV. Philanthropic support for this program is led by Soledad O’Brien and the Burke Family Foundation. This combined support allows for the Career Development Program to provide full tuition for all 30 selected students, who represent 19 schools. 

“Since its founding in 2019, The Gotham EDU has welcomed over 200 students into the broader Gotham community. These students have been invited to expand their networks and form lasting creative partnerships that will benefit their careers well into the future,”  stated Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.  

The student participants will also have the opportunity to attend this year’s Gotham Week. Select students will participate in paid internships at The Gotham and MTV Entertainment Group’s Ambassador’s Program. 

The program now has 124 alumni representing 34 schools. Student alumni of the program have gone on to work at A24, Apple, Amazon Studios,  CBS News, HBO Documentaries, PBS Kids, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Showtime Networks, Nickelodeon, Nike, NBC Universal, Paramount, and the United Talent Agency (UTA). 

The Gotham EDU 2024 Career Development Program runs from June 17 to August 9, 2024. The first Career Development Program was held with 22 students in 2020. The Summer 2024 program will be the fifth edition with 30 students.  It will continue to be run virtually to improve access for students across the country.

Another Gotham EDU initiative underway for 2024 is the Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase.

The list of the 30 students selected for the Gotham EDU 2024 Career Development Program are as follows:

Recipients of The Joel Schumacher | Sophia Cranshaw Scholarship supported by the MTV Entertainment Group:

Javier Cruz-Ginez, The Ohio State University

Kaya Trefz, New York University

Lauren Barina, Columbia College Chicago

Mahbuba Sumiya, Harvard University

Polly Chesnokova, Dartmouth College

Recipients of The Sidney Poitier Initiative Scholarship supported by MoviePass:

Ariana Neal, Columbia University

Busola King Adeboyejo, University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Lauren Luke, New York University 

Olivia Charis, Yale University 

Samuel Vargas, Miami Dade College

Recipients of The Executive Leadership Fellowship supported by Soledad O’Brien:

Abisola Mohammed, Ohio University 

Gabrielle Santo, Hunter College 

Recipients of the Burke Family Foundation include:

Alex Aljouni, University of California, Los Angeles

Bianca Vucetich, Nova Southeastern University

Chad Mow, Miami-Dade College

Sumana Syed, Columbia College Chicago

Julius Ewungkem Jr., Harvard University

Recipient of The Islamic Scholarship Foundation: 

Sumana Syed

Gotham EDU Member Institutions:

Colgate University:

Brayden Barros-King, Colgate University

Hugh Carlin, Colgate University

Jieni Wu, Colgate University

John Cremins, Colgate University

Lincoln University:

Danielle Vignovich, Lincoln University 

Supported by The Gotham:

Michelle Tang, Princeton University

Molly Smith, Yale University

Mrugesh Thakor, Pratt Institute

Oliver Schaffer, Emerson College

Osaro Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Santiago Pacheco, University of Texas at Austin 

Zaryah Qareeb, Emerson College

Sumana Syed, Columbia College Chicago

Julius Ewungkem Jr., Harvard University

Michelle Tang, Princeton University

Molly Smith, Yale University

Mrugesh Thakor, Pratt Institute

Oliver Schaffer, Emerson College

Osaro Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Santiago Pacheco, University of Texas at Austin 

Zaryah Qareeb, Emerson College

Ebun Adebonojo, New York University

About the Gotham Film & Media Institute

The Gotham celebrates and nurtures independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Awards, Gotham EDU, Owning It, and Expanding Communities.

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