2009 SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

SIXTY -THREE NEW STUDENTS JOIN THE FOUNDATION IN 2009 - Sixty-three students were selected from more than 1,100 applicants to participate in the Foundation’s multi-year work/study program in twenty-five cities around the country. Our newest students joined the ranks of the nearly 200 of our existing scholars in the program. Students work each summer at broadcast stations, cable systems, cable program networks, public broadcast stations, advertising firms, and other industry organizations.

EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS INSITITUTE - In March, 2009, Foundation President and CEO, Phylis Eagle-Oldson, Foundation graduate, Alfonso Rosales (Associate Producer with the Travel Channel) and Susan Gonzalez of Comcast met with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D, NY), Chairperson of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to discuss the Foundation’s program and the opportunities our corporate partners provide to diverse students interested in careers in the media industry. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is a non-profit leadership development organization that offers educational and leadership develop programs for Latino students as well as scholarships and summer internships in Congressional offices. As a result of that meeting and subsequent conversations with CHIC’s President, Esther Aguilera, and William Gill, Vice President of Programs, the first CHCI scholarship awardee was selected to participate in the Emma L. Bowen Foundation’s program. Luis Guitart was select by KMSP-FOX - Eden Prairie, MN for a multi-year summer internship at the television station. We look forward to a long-term collaboration with CHCI.

EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION VIDEO CELEBRATES ITS FOUNDER AND 20TH ANNIVERSARY
In 2009, the Emma Bowen Foundation and its corporate partners celebrate the 20th year of creating opportunities for young, diverse talent in the media industry. Michael Jack (President & General Manager) and his team at WRC-NBC Washington, DC offered to create a public service announcement (PSA) highlighting our founder, Emma Bowen. The video was distributed to broadcast and cable companies around the country and was featured during Black History Month. We were very pleased with the response to the video, and more importantly, the opportunity to tell Emma’s story to a broad audience. The video can be viewed on the Foundation’s website on the “About Emma Bowen” page.

SUMMER CONFERENCE 2009
New York City was again the site for the Emma Bowen Foundation’s annual conference on June 13-16, 2009. More than 235 students attended this year’s conference from around the country. The opening night dinner included a panel discussion by five Foundation students who worked at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Michael Benjamin, Jenna Hanchard, Denise Horn, Michelle Jackson, and Joseph Sutton shared their experiences and pictures, much to the envy and enjoyment of the audience.
Sunday’s agenda included a session entitled Ready f or the Real World: What Every Student Needs to Know about Money, Life & the Dream Job. Given the current economy and the focus on personal credit, the Foundation invited Sanyika Calloway Boyce, noted author, lecturer, television guest speaker, and founder of the Financial Fitness Institute to design a program specifically for Emma Bowen Foundation students. An on-line questionnaire about personal finance was provided to the students prior to the session. Students said it was a “life changing session.” Our annual graduate panel, a favorite with the students, featured (from left to right) Marquetta Moore, Talent Coordinator for BET, Alfonso Rosales, Associate Producer, The Travel Channel, Lillian Santana, Financial Analyst, ABC, Kerwin Speight, Producer, WBAL, Baltimore and Alana Davis, Harvard MBA program.

CBS hosted our "corporate day" during the conference. The day’s program was launched by Tom Kane, President & CEO of CBS Television Stations, and Jennifer Suarez, Senior Vice President of Workforce Development for CBS, both Emma Bowen Foundation board members. An Emma Bowen Foundation graduate, Giovani Benitez (investigative producer, WFOR-CBS Miami), served as the day’s emcee and introduced Leslie Moonves President and CEO of CBS Corporation. Mr. Moonves talked about CBS strategies for the future and answered a broad range of questions from the students. A panel moderated by Josie Thomas, Sr. Vice President, Diversity for CBS Television, provided students with information on specific careers within CBS and what skills were needed to be successful. Included on the panel were several young professionals including Giovani Benitez, Marcus Ellington, Marketing Manager for CBS Digital Media Group, Margie Sepulveda, Associate Director of HR for Simon & Schuster, and Orlena Yeung, Vice President of Marketing for Last.fm. JoAnn Ross, President of CBS Network Sales gave students insights in a career in sales. Maggie Rodriguez of the CBS Morning Show was our luncheon keynote speaker. An afternoon panel focused on the industry’s move into the digital future. The panel moderator was David Goodman, President of CBS Interactive Music and the panelists included Rebecca Claes, Director of Marketing for CBS Radio Digital Media Group, Rob Hayes, SVP / GM Digital Media, Showtime Networks, Ellie Hirschhorn, Chief Digital Officer, Simon & Schuster, Jodi Senese, EVP Marketing, CBS Outdoor. The final speaker of the day was Cindy Hsu, News Anchor for WCBS in New York. Other conference events included an orientation for students attending the conference for the first time, a dinner honoring the Class of 2009 and a dinner cruise around Manhattan.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - We especially want to acknowledge the Walter Kaitz Foundation for their ongoing commitment to the Foundation and sponsorship of the 2009 Summer Conference; they have been the major sponsor of the Conference since 2004. In addition, the following companies, organizations and individuals helped in a variety of ways to make this conference possible: Jennifer Suarez and Bryn Berglund of CBS for their tireless efforts in putting together the CBS program, the speakers and panelists for making the time to share their experiences with our students and to the following companies who donated gift items for our students: Arbitron, Bright House Networks, Comcast, Discovery, Hallmark Channel, Hearst-Argyle Television, Ion Media, Lifetime, NBC Universal, P&G Productions, Scripps Networks, Television Bureau of Advertising, Travel Channel, & Turner Broadcasting.

2009 STUDENTS OF THE YEAR HONORED - Michele Redberg and Michael Estimé were named the co-recipients of the Emma L. Bowen Foundation’s 2009 Student of the Year Award at the annual Board of Directors/Student Luncheon held in conjunction with the annual Summer Conference in New York City. The award recognizes the achievements of an outstanding male and female senior and serves as an incentive to other Foundation students to continue to strive for excellence. Criteria for the award include: outstanding work quality; noteworthy professional and personal growth and integrity; academic excellence; creativity and initiative; and special contributions to his/her company, college and/or community. Michele is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where she earned a degree in Communications Studies. Her corporate sponsor was CBS-WCCO in Minneapolis, MN. Michele continues to work at WCCO as Business Development and Research Coordinator for Sales. Michael is a graduate of Central Michigan University where he earned a degree in Meteorology. His corporate sponsor was CBS. He is currently a meteorology reporting the weather at WMGT in Macon, GA. A special thanks to Henry Rivera, Esq. of Wiley Rein, Wrisë Booker of Reid Dugger Consulting Group and Maria Brennan of AWRT for serving as our 2009 judges.

ACADEMIC AWARDS PRESENTED - 40 students were presented with the Foundation’s top academic award for earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher during the 2008-2009 school year. Each award winner received a certificate and a cash award during the Foundation’s Awards Luncheon. Following is a list of the award recipients:

Tiffany Bain, Florida A&M Univ., Comcast
Nicole Barden, Spelman College, Comcast
Ashley Bayton, Hampton Univ., Travel Channel
Michael Benjamin, Howard Univ., Comcast
Tiffany Blevins, Univ. of Aabama, Fox
Ashley Brown, Evangel Univ., Media General
Re-Essa Buckels, St. Xavier University, Charter
Michele Byrd, Hampton University, Turner
Katelin Chow, Univ. of Washington, Comcast
Stephanie Claytor, Syracuse University, Fox
Michael Estime, Central Michigan State, CBS
Joseph Flowers, Univ.of MD , CPB
Alejandro Fonseca, Miami Dade College,NBC
Nikita Ford, Howard Univ., Hearst Television
Cynthia Green, Univ. of N. Texas, Fox
Andre Grier, Univ.of VA, Weather Channel
Anique Hameed, Howard Univ.,Weather Channel
Ashley Harris, Brown Univ., Oxygen Media
Lauren Jackson, Hampton University, NABEF
Jamil Kariem, Pomona College, P&G
Kaela Joyner, Emerson College, Comcast
Adrienne Lucas, University of Pittsburgh, Fox
Kiah McBride, Howard Univ., Bright House
Success OkoronkwoTowson Univ., C-SPAN
Maria Pacheco, Purdue, Comcast
Jennifer Peterson, Univ.of Minnesota, Comcast
Michelle Redberg, Univ. of Minnesota, CBS
Najee Ritter, UCLA, HBO
Chris Robinson, George Mason Univ., Fox
Monique Robinson, Rutgers University, NBC
Raquel Rodriguez, Univ. of Central FL, FOX
Aaron Sinclair, Morgan State Univ., CPB
Savannah Squires, Lee University, Scripps
Eric Stevenson, Seton Hall, Lifetime
Vanessa Velez, Iona College, Comcast
Joshua Williams, Howard University, Turner
Jessica Wright, St. Augustine College, Comcast
Jane Walton, Bennett College, Cox
Jane Wu, Carnegie Mellon University, Comcast
Ian Yue, Wheaton College, CPB

2009 LINK MENTORING PROGRAM - For the eighth consecutive year, the Walter Kaitz Foundation funded our Link Mentoring Program. In 2009, we conducted a workshop in Los Angeles for 30 mentees and 15 mentors. The Link Intensive workshop is a 2.5-day professional development session that brings together industry executives with Foundation students to introduce such concepts as diverse work styles (utilizing the DiSC assessment tool), group dynamics, unspoken corporate rules, managing up, leadership when you are not in charge, and the challenges of professionals of color in the workplace. Guided by a professional facilitator, Wrisë Booker of Reid Dugger Consulting Group, mentors work with teams of 3-5 students to answer their questions and concentrate on strategies that build strong careers. This year’s mentors included Cort Cass of ABC, Gene Hawkins of Hallmark Channel, Karen Jones of HBO, Jennifer Kanter of Rainbow Networks, Robert Peralta of Comcast/Fandango, Phil Perry of NBC, Michelle Ray of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, Diane Robertson of CBS, Ed Sabin of the Learning Channel, Kathy Thornton of Katz Media, Dannette Trosclair of Disney/ABC, Michelle Veronaof ABC, John Wahlert of Katz Media, and Ned Waugaman of Arbitron.

NAVIGATING YOUR COURSE WORKSHOPS FOR FOUNDATION GRADUATES
The Navigating Your Course workshop is the latest in our series of supplemental programs for Foundation students and graduates. In April 2009, we conducted workshops for Foundation graduates and members of NAMIC and WICT in New York and Los Angeles. The program is facilitated by Wrisë Booker of Reid Dugger Consulting Group and funded by a grant from the Walter Kaitz Foundation. Navigating Your Course provides an in-depth look at assessing talent, understanding corporate culture and office politics, managing yourself and managing up, identifying mentors, networking, the issue of diversity, and career strategies. An in-depth guide was developed to accompany the workshop.

EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD ELECTS NEW REPRESENTATIVES - The Foundation established a Student Advisory Board in 2007 to better serve the students and insure that the programs developed by the Foundation for students remain relevant both in topics and technology. Each class elects two representatives for a two-year term. The 2009-2010
Advisory Board includes:

Class of 2010 - Karina Roa (CBS) and Jarred Hill (Comcast)
Class of 2011 - Matthew Braham (Comcast) and Steven Martinez (Katz Media)
Class of 2012 - Shauna Bennett (CBS) and Jasmine Rushum (Comcast)
Class of 2013 - Torffick Abdul (Nielsen) and Seth Love (ESPN)

AMERICAN WOMEN IN RADIO AND TELEVISION’S GRACIES - Six Foundation students had the opportunity to participate in the American Women in Radio and Television’s (AWRT) Gracie Allen Awards Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on May 25, 2009. Kellee Blades (ABC), Rhonesha Byg (NBC), Michael Benjamin (Comcast), Denise Horn (NBC), Jaleesa Myers (ICBC), and Nephtaly Rivera (NBC) directed guests on the "red carpet," assisted backstage and distributed Awards. It was a star-studded evening all around!

FOUNDATION STUDENTS ATTEND - CABLE CARES ABOUT DIVERSITY MASTER CLASS FOR MILLENIALS - On April 2, 2009, Emma Bowen Foundation students Aaron Sinclair, Britney Empty, Joseph Flowers, Pierre Roache, and Kiah McBride participated in a unique one-day Master Class designed to bring millennials together with executives in the cable industry to share ideas and gain insights about business trends and strategies. Included among the speakers were: Kathy Johnson of NAMIC; David Porter of the Walter Kaitz Foundation; Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama; Patrick Esser, President & CEO of Cox Communications; Evan Shapiro, President of IFC TV and the Sundance Channel; and Johnathan Rodgers, President of TV One. Students heard from HR executives, and young professionals about careers in the industry. Alfonso Rosales, a Foundation graduate and associate producer at the Travel Channel, was included among the panelists speaking during the day. Participants had the opportunity to tour the trade show floor at the NCTA convention and speak with Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast. The event was co-sponsored by the Walter Kaitz Foundation and NAMIC.

EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION INVITED TO NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NGA) DIVERSITY SUMMMIT - Phylis Eagle-Oldson, President & CEO of the Emma Bowen Foundation was invited to address a Diversity Summit of the NGA to discuss best practices for internship programs that successfully convert interns to full-time employees. Kim Bowser, a Foundation graduate, was also a guest speaker. Kim is an administrator in the Corporate and Public Affairs Department at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION GRADS SELECTED FOR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS’ CONNECTIONS PROGRAM The Connections Mentoring Initiative is a premier leadership development and mentoring fellowship program. Created to prepare talented and diverse broadcasters for the next phase of their broadcasting careers, Connections links senior level broadcast mentors with women and people of color who are their companies’ emerging leaders. The program is sponsored by the NABEF and the McCormick Foundation. Four Emma Bowen Foundation graduates were selected for this coveted program: Giovani Benitez, Reporter/Producer for WFOR-TV CBS-4, Miami FL, Michael Estimé, Morning Meteorologist, WMGT - TV 41 NBC, Macon, GA , Ayesha Faines, General Assignment Reporter and Traffic Reporter, WJXT-TV Channel 4, Jacksonville, FL , and Kerwin Speight, WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD.

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