Name: Joyce Chuinkam
Hometown: It's complicated. Born in NY, moved to Cameroon, then Canada, Pennsylvania, Colorado, London and now LA.
Undergraduate Institution: Political Science and International Studies at Penn State
Prior Work Experience: Obama Campaign 2012; Legal Assistant in Denver; Administrative Assistant at BridgeEnglish Denver
Extracurricular Activities: Women's Rugby, Annenberg TV
Twitter/Instagram: @joyce_of_life / @thejoyceoflife
Favorite thing about USC Annenberg: The opportunities. Typing this, I just returned from a luncheon with the VP of integrated marketing at Warner Brothers. Yesterday, I was at an information session with recruiters from NBCUniversal. Within two weeks of moving to LA (for my first time, with no network), I was interning at Paramount Pictures and had scheduled a phone interview with the creator of Empire (who happens to be a USC alum) through Annenberg resources. Last semester, one of my professors was the founder of a top digital consulting firm, Pulse Point Group, and this semester, another one of my professors is an executive at MGM. The opportunities are extensive and the faculty are so keen on helping the students explore them. I also love how the classes push you and challenge you to not only think, but do. Last semester I found myself making a web series with no prior producing or directing experience. For another class, I was required to think critically about crisis management and corporate reputation, drafting strategies for real clients about real issues. It forces you to stop thinking about the hypothetical and start doing in the now.
Favorite thing about Los Angeles: Being so busy (and without a driver’s license yet) I have honestly not had a chance to explore LA as much as I should have by now. I have done the stereotypical tourist tours of Hollywood and Madame Tussauds but I mostly appreciate the scenery. There is so much more to LA than Hollywood and I like that my roommate’s family and I can drive to Malibu and take a hike and feel like we are in a foreign country, far away from the chaos and stress that LA runs on. I also love the weather, although it is not as warm all year round as I thought!