Madison “Maddy” de Vera had long felt conflicted. She loved the entertainment industry and the glamorous world of celebrity interviews and red carpets. But she also loved the technology world and the technical challenges of coding and problem-solving. How could her two very different interests coexist? She found the answer at Syracuse University.
Currently a junior, de Vera is double majoring in the School of Information and the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. She is combining her diverse passions, studying Information Management and Technology with a concentration in Information Security at the iSchool and Television, Radio and Film at Newhouse.
“The communication skills I learned at Newhouse, combined with the technical skills I learned at the iSchool, give me an incredible skill set that's transferable to a variety of career paths,” she says. “After all, I believe the future of entertainment depends on the constant advancement of the technology behind it. Knowing how to code, debug and problem-solve, as well as how to film, edit and tell a story, will make you a more attractive applicant to future employers.”
She decided to double major after taking IST 195, an information technology class, under the guidance of Professor Jeff Rubin.
“This was definitely one of the most interesting classes I've taken at Syracuse University and is very relevant to today's society,” De Vera said. “After taking that class, I immediately knew I wanted to get a double major at the iSchool.”
One of de Vera's favorite projects so far at the iSchool was IST 263, “Introduction to Front-End Web Development.” Assistant Professor Laurie Ferger taught students the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. For the final project, de Vera had to code a website from scratch. Summer Travel Diary.
“Please be kind! This was my first website,” De Vera said.
Her favorite project at Newhouse was TRF 450: Artist Representation, taught by Assistant Professor J. Christopher Hamilton. Students designed business opportunities for celebrities and pitched them to talent agents at United Talent Agency. For this project, de Vera considered the future career of singer and actress Miley Cyrus.
“It really sparked my creativity,” she said.
With graduation looming next year, de Vera is still figuring out what career path is right for her. She is currently spending a semester in New York City earning 19 credits while interning with DJ Maxwell Jones at the world-famous Z100 radio station and working as a photography assistant for Syracuse University graduate Michelle Rose.
“My internship is primarily in social media management,” she says, “which may not sound tech-related, but there's a lot of data analysis involved. I use data from Instagram and TikTok posts to help curate compelling content and innovative stories tailored to the demographics the data represents.”
If she could choose her dream job, de Vera would like to be a red carpet reporter interviewing celebrities, but she still wants to use her love of technology in some way, working for an entertainment company or even producing for a radio station.
“I think a lot of analysis goes into deciding what songs to play, when and where. It's a more analytical role, but it's still a fun radio station,” she said.
While her career path is currently undecided, de Vera is facing the uncertainty by maintaining a positive attitude.
“It's important to remember that the jobs we will have in the future don't even exist yet,” she said. “For a long time I thought it was weird that I was studying so many different subjects, but I've learned it's important to follow what excites you. Someone once told me that if you love what you do, you'll never need to work in your life, and I live by that saying.”
