Local Palos Verdes Student Lands TV Academy Foundation Internship

Michelle Fredericks of Palos Verdes, California, has been selected for the prestigious Television Academy Foundation Internship program. She is one of just 40 students chosen by Television Academy members from across the country for the 2022 Summer Program. The Foundation’s annual Internship Program provides eight-week, paid internships at top Hollywood studios and production companies to college students nationwide.

Fredericks is a 2022 graduate of the University of California—Irvine who majored in Business Administration and Film and Media Studies. She is interning this summer in the physical production and business management departments at Hulu in Santa Monica, California.

Fredericks attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.

“Receiving the TV Academy internship is like a dream come true,” said Fredericks. “I feel extremely lucky to have this amazing jumpstart to my career and to join the ranks of the talented program alumni.”

“My family nurtured my healthy love for television and its connective power,” Fredericks said. “My mom was born in the Philippines and my dad here in the U.S., but they both grew up watching TV shows like Hogan's Heroes, M.A.S.H. and Gilligan's Island. It's amazing to hear them talk about their shared memories of these shows despite the thousands of miles between their childhood homes. In the age of streaming, our love of TV shows is connecting us more than ever, and I could not be prouder to have the opportunity to be a part of this industry.

“I believe that change comes from the top down, especially when it comes to authentic and diverse representation,” continued Fredericks. “As a Filipino-American woman, I've felt barely represented in modern media, much less in the executive ranks of media companies. I am grateful to have the opportunity to shadow production executives and hope to gain enough experience to one day be in their position to promote authentic voices for people of all ethnicities, genders and sexual orientation.”

The Internship Program also provides professional development sessions with leaders in the television industry and customized seminars covering personal brand-building and navigating the job market ahead for participating students. Interns also become lifelong members of the Foundation’s alumni family giving them access to events and networking opportunities as they build their careers in the industry.