Stephanie Wayda
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Stephanie Wayda is a Class of 2024 journalism major.
You were awarded a position by the College of Media as a Roger Ebert Fellow for 2023-24. What knowledge have you gained from this experience so far?
As an Ebert Fellow, I have worked with Michael Phillips, a Chicago Tribune film critic who serves as a mentor and provides feedback on my work. He has also inspired me to look at film criticism in a different light and explore why different films make unique stylistic choices. This fellowship also has many networking opportunities. I went to Chicago in January to watch a pre-screening for the new Bob Marley biopic, where I met other film critics and past Ebert Fellows.
As a senior, what are your career goals after graduation?
After graduation, I would like to go into movie creation as a producer. I plan on using my film criticism experience as an Ebert Fellow and my journalism knowledge from the Globally Focused Advanced Documentary Filmmaking class to help me produce films and become the creative force behind them. I have learned so much about analyzing films, such as what tools are used to create different effects to impact viewers. I want to use those skills to break into the movie industry and get my dream job.
What has influenced your decision to pursue the film industry?
The Illini Film and Video club has helped me determine what direction I want to take my career. I was given 48 hours to shoot, produce, and edit a film, and it was featured at the club’s film festival. I am on the executive board this year as the social outreach chair, and I think my participation in the club will continue to be instrumental in my success. I was also involved in This Week at UI7 on campus as an anchor last January. This opportunity allowed me to get involved in news operations for the first time and learn how to run a show from beginning to end. I had no media experience before coming to the University of Illinois, so these organizations have offered lots of production experience.
Who has impacted you most in the College of Media?
Colleen King (director of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and clinical assistant professor of journalism) and Alison Davis (lecturer of journalism) have influenced me most to continue my work in media. They are the pillars of what kind of person I want to be after graduation. Both women are strong and talented in everything they do. To no end, they’ve helped me throughout my two years here by advising me on breaking into the professional media space and providing me with new opportunities to grow as a student. They are the highlights of my experience, and I could never thank them enough for being great role models for women pursuing these careers.
What advice do you have for incoming College of Media students?
Take advantage of all the opportunities other students and professors offer you and seek them out. You truly learn by doing and experiencing different things in your chosen field. Try to get your foot in the door and test things out. It will be difficult because you are not coming into college with high-level experience, but you have to work up to that, and this is how. Do not be afraid; the professors are here to help you if you are willing to learn.
—Interview by Mallory Miller, New Voices Intern
