Robert HitchcockSix young women from The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program(WIE) recently spent a Saturday morning touring Chapman University and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, gaining an up-close look at the opportunities awaiting them on campus.
The visit was part of an ongoing partnership between Chapman and the WIE program, which was founded 15 years ago by Stephen Galloway, now dean of Dodge College, during his time at The Hollywood Reporter.
The initiative, created in collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, pairs high-achieving students from under-resourced Los Angeles area high schools with mentors who are leaders in the entertainment industry.
“The Women in Entertainment mentorship program was created 15 years ago, and it’s based on a very simple idea,” Galloway said. “Take a woman who succeeded and pair her with a young woman who desperately wants to succeed, and magic can happen.”
During their time on campus, the students explored classrooms and production spaces, learned about Dodge College’s academic programs, and heard from faculty and current students about what life at Chapman is like. The goal, according to program leaders, is to help the students envision themselves thriving as part of the Chapman community.
“This (Chapman) is one of our partner institutions and a place where our girls have the opportunity to apply to go to school,” said the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Kojuan Trinidad-Williams with the. “This is an opportunity for them to see if this is a place they see themselves being a student.”
For several of the mentees, the visit sparked both inspiration and determination.
“I really want to go here,” said Luna Alvarez a senior at Lawndale High School. “It’s like calling my name. I can definitely see myself going here and succeeding in life.”
Elisa Covarrubias a senior at John F Kennedy High School said, “I guess it just made me realize that I’m very close to my dream — closer than I ever thought I was.”
“I want to be able to tell stories and help people out in my future,” Michelle Carmona a senior at Birmingham Community Charter High School added. “Touring Chapman showed me that this could be the place where I do that.”
The annual program culminates in December when all the mentees receive scholarships to the college of their choice, while 2 or 3 are awarded early admission and full-ride scholarships to either Chapman University or Loyola Marymount University.
For Galloway, hosting the students on campus is a reminder of why he started the program.
“If you can bring them here and make them feel this isn’t just about getting a piece of paper but about creating a family that they’ll take with them into the world, then we succeeded,” he said. “It’s the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done.”
