Cristine Hall
Karson Case ’27 was on spring break, talking with a friend and trying not to get their hopes up.
In January, Case had applied for a Television Academy Foundation internship and knew the odds were long. Like many students pursuing careers in entertainment, they had grown used to rejection — or simply never hearing back. Then the phone rang.
The call sent Case, a rising senior at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, to Blink49 Studios for a summer internship in unscripted/reality television development. More importantly, it affirmed what Case had come to believe at Chapman: that the right preparation could lead to opportunities once thought out of reach.
Case is one of approximately 40 students nationwide selected for the Television Academy Foundation’s 2026 Summer Internship Program, which places aspiring television professionals at leading studios and production companies. Their acceptance to the program reflects years of intentional course selection, faculty mentorship, Dodge Career Center support, and increasingly ambitious internships.
“There are so many times in entertainment where you hear ‘no,'” Case said. “Hearing ‘yes’ reminded me exactly of the feeling when Chapman called to tell me I’d made it off the waitlist.”
Originally born in Jiangxi, China, and adopted as an infant, Case grew up in Centennial, Colorado, where a neighbor first encouraged them to consider Chapman. They enrolled as a film and television production major with an emphasis in editing and soon found themselves drawn to unscripted storytelling. Rather than following the traditional scripted production track, Case opted to enroll in a few alternate course options, choosing television production and documentary classes that aligned with their interests, all while maintaining heavy involvement with scripted productions.
Their outlook also shapes the stories Case hopes to tell. As a transnational adoptee and longtime advocate for the adoptee community, they believe television has the power to help people see experiences different from their own.
“Everybody’s story is worth telling,” Case said. “I don’t think that there’s one story that’s more important than another. I think the more perspectives we can bring to television, the more people can understand themselves — and each other.”
Case began pursuing internships early during their time at Chapman, looking to successful Dodge students as models and steadily building experience in editing, post-production, and television development. A role at Blind Tiger Originals became their first professional industry credit and reinforced their interest in developing unscripted programming and post-production.
When recent Dodge College alumnus Evan Nowak encouraged Case to apply for the Television Academy Foundation internship, they turned to Joe Rosenberg at the Dodge Career Center. Rosenberg, the director of industry relations and an associate professor of artistic faculty at Dodge, helped Case refine their resume and cover letters, gather professional recommendations, and prepare for a video interview after advancing to the finalist round.
“He was very receptive to helping me figure out what I wanted to do and how to best get me there,” Case said.
Today, Case is part of Blink49 Studios’ Global Formats team, helping develop unscripted television concepts ranging from reality competitions to dating shows. In addition to working alongside industry professionals, interns participate in weekly career development programming through the Television Academy Foundation.
For Case, the experience has reinforced a lesson they hope other Chapman students will remember.
“As much as you feel like you might not be right for an opportunity, if it’s something you want to do, go for it,” Case said. “You never know what will happen.”
