Brandon Charlton looks around the half circle of interns assembled in front of him. “Is there something you want to learn how to do that you haven’t yet?” he asks.

The interns consider the question carefully. They’re gathered on a soundstage on the Full Sail campus, home base of Mojo Brands Media, a nationally syndicated network that produces programs such as morning news show The Daily Buzz and Emotional Mojo, a program that focuses on motivation, inspiration, and well being. In addition to his role as Studio Operations Manager, Brandon also serves as the company’s Intern Coordinator. After a moment, Taylor Saulsbury, a recent graduate of Full Sail’s Creative Writing for Entertainment bachelor’s program, says she’d like to learn more about editing.

“Good,” says Brandon. Together, they work out a time for Taylor to sit down with someone from the editing team. “Anyone else?” One by one, the interns speak up.

After the meeting, Taylor heads back to her desk, where she’s working on writing a few short, humorous news segments for The Daily Buzz. As she completes each piece, she sends them to a producer, who edits them and sends them back.

“Because I’m still learning, it’s good for me to see the edited version,” explains Taylor, an aspiring comedian. A month ago, she never would have guessed she’d be interning on a television show.  When she received the initial job lead from Career Development, she wasn’t sure she’d be a good fit.  “It was for a position as a production assistant. I went to school for writing, and I didn’t know anything about production.” Luckily, Taylor’s contact in Career Development was able to clarify the particulars of the job. “There’s actually a lot of opportunities for writers in this position,” says Taylor. “I was all set to move back to Maryland when I found out I got the job.”

Other interns agree that an internship with Mojo Brands offers dynamic opportunities for students across degree programs. One of the biggest advantages to working for a nationally syndicated content company is the vast amount of cultural territory it covers. Interns are able to experience the interconnectedness of the industry first hand.

“Music sales are not actually the driving force of the music business any more,” says Jedidiah Brown, a recent graduate of the Music Business program. “It’s brand integration, product placement, sponsorships, and things of that nature that cause the industry to thrive. Working in television helps me look at that stuff from a different perspective, and there’s a lot of overlap. You can’t separate the entities. It’s all entertainment.”

According to Brandon, the relationship between the Full Sail and Mojo Brands Media is mutually beneficial. Bringing on student help allows the company’s regular employees to focus on the bigger picture while teaching interns the nuances of the business. Because internships are interest driven, students and grads have the ability to direct their experience according to aspects of the business they’re most curious about. “The way I look at it, the program is in their hands,” says Brandon. “We’re bringing them into a structured environment, but giving them the ability to blaze their own path.”

Typically, internships last 240 hours—about three months. Because the company cycles new interns in every two months, there’s nearly a month of overlap between incoming and outgoing students and grads. This allows more seasoned interns to show newer additions to the team the ropes, and offer practical advice. While the company regularly takes on newly graduated Full Sailors as well as active students, Brandon says the best candidates for internships are students who are nearing the end of their degree program. “They already have a knowledge base fresh in their mind,” he says. “They can come in and apply what they learned in the classroom.”

For more information on internship opportunities, visit the Career Development website.

Last week, members of Full Sail’s Education team were recognized for outstanding contributions to the field as part of the second annual series of PROPS award ceremonies. The mission of PROPS, which stands for Peers Recognizing Other Peers, is to celebrate members of the Education team who exemplify Full Sail’s guiding principles, support students’ dreams, and embody a sprit of innovation.

“This year’s event had a superhero theme to represent the amazing efforts our educators put forth every day. Their passion and drive toward supporting our students is nothing less that inspirational, and it is such a pleasure to provide this opportunity to celebrate our education heroes,” says Angelique Smith, Director of Faculty Affairs and Development.

Nominations occurred over the course of a year.  A total of 124 individuals received PROPS after ranking in the top 10% of their department’s nominations. People who ranked number one within the top 10% received special Navigator (Educational Support Employees), Pilot (Course Directors), and Co-Pilot (Lab Specialists) awards. Those recognized were invited to strike a super hero pose onstage before receiving certificates of recognition from their Program Directors.

Congratulations to the 2014 PROPS Recipients! 

Admissions
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
Patrick Hughes

Education Support Team
NAVIGATOR
Linda Puritz

PROPS
Andrew Barras, Ashley Knight, Bao Tran, Cassandra Zayatz, Cassie Rosenblatt, Christina Rios, Dell Burks, Don Royster, Donna Fontanazza, Dustin Burton, Elizabeth George, Emily Prusnek, Isabel Sanchez, James Stone, Jeff Pishkur, Joe Latimer, John Morton, Mollie Peuler, Peter Washburn, Rachel Adams, Rachel Griffiths, Robin Hofmann, Sean Kanhai, Thea Reyes

Audio Arts
PILOT
Timothy Stulman

CO-PILOT
Adam Stachow

PROPS
Matt Burkholder, Daniel Fleming, Kelsey Godfrey, Matt Gorney, Brent Hughes, Susan Kelleher, Keith Lay, Vincent Lepore, Monika Mason, Thomas Owen, Darren Schneider, John Sheldon, Adam Shirley, Adam Stachow, Timothy Stulman

Design & Technology
PILOT
Holly Earhart

CO-PILOT
Cristhian De La Paz

PROPS
Jamie Brown, Michael Celey, Jennifer Conley, Fernando De La Cruz, Josh Donlan, Adam Fatka, Rachel Fugate, Chad Gibson, Joseph Gornik, Rachel Higley, D’Juan Irvin, Suzanne Johnson, Tyrone Jordan, Jacob Kaplan, Marcus Kennedy, Breanna Lane, Jeff Lang, Kimberly Lomas, Omar Martinez, Tyler Matthews, Christopher Maxwell, William McIntyre, Daniel Moye, Johannah O’Donnell, Plinio Pinto, Joseph Pollack, Charles Rainey, Shawn Rinehart, Mac Rutan, Rodney Stoeffler, Dustin Tinkler, Carson Wampler

Graduate Studies
PILOT
Nicholas Carver

CO-PILOT
Cassandra Willard

PROPS
Diane Sadler Diaz, Jennie Jarvis, James Jessup, Donald Lipham, Rolando Ramos, Elena Rogalle, Kristin Stewart

Liberal Studies
PILOT
Mike Tabb

CO-PILOT
Nicole Chapman

PROPS
Randi Dietiker, Jennie Donovan, Garrick Dowhen, Tof Eklund, Rachelle Fox, Elise McKenna, Gina Milewski, Erin Moore, Nicole Oquendo, Javier Rivera, Katie Ross, Leslie Salas, Wilson Santos, Mercedes Sotillo Turner, Amy Watkins-Copeland

Undergraduate Business
PILOT
David MacDonald

CO-PILOT
Amanda Grissom

PROPS
Carol Cox, Margaret Cox, April McGlinchy, Annie Quaile, Kathryn Stuart, Christopher Woodward

Visual Arts
PILOT
Jason Gillett

CO-PILOT
Michelle Long

PROPS
Bryce Maschino, Colin Hart, Edward Stork, Emily Wray, Fahad Vania, Jenelle Ferrer, Kenny Beaumont, Kyle Frazer, Kyle Leonard, Matthew Nelson, Phil Bergquist, Ryan Funk

Last week, hip hop artist Joell Ortiz stopped by the Full Sail campus and crashed the Introduction to Management class, giving Entertainment and Music Business majors an overview of his career.

Joell spoke about the struggles he faced as a new artist trying to get a record deal. “Executives and producers would say, ‘He’s a bit overweight. How are we going to market this guy? We can’t sell him to the ladies. He’s Latin, so should we focus on those markets rather than the hip hop market?’ Whereas I just wanted to be a rapper. The business hits you right in the face. You realize that you’ve got to separate yourself as an artist from the business immediately. I’m sure that’s one reason why some great artists don’t make it, because they quit at that point. The business part of it is really hard,” he said.

Speaking to the class, he urged them to be innovative when it comes to marketing. Because he didn’t fit the mold of what a typical hip hop artist looks like, Joell had to get creative when it came to showing labels that he could reach their demographic. He was one of the first hip hop artists to document the experience of making a record via blog.

His work paid off. He signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label in 2007. The deal didn’t work out, however, and after putting out two solo albums in 2007 and 2011, Joell joined the hip hop group Slaughterhouse. Their album, Welcome to: Our House, was released on Eminem’s Shady Records in 2012. Now, a decade into his career, Joell has released his third album, House Slippers, which contains some of his most personal material yet.

“Embracing and capturing, and recognizing the now is important in music,” he said. “You’ve got to take pictures of your life through the music. That’s what it is, capturing the now.”

Joell was joined by his team, including his manager Dennis Wynn, Ethan Curtis of Plush Studios, and Jay Marcano, a Full Sail grad and local promoter. Joell said the experience of getting to speak to Full Sail Students was something he’s always wanted to do.

“I want to teach people about way more than music,” he said. “The experience of coming here today and just looking in the faces of kids who are figuring it out, there’s a beauty in that. The things we spoke about today, I hope they can influence at least one person.”

Pure Motivation made its way to California earlier this month – the on-campus volunteer organization held its first ever off-campus event at the Stetson Ranch Park in Los Angeles. Seven online students and grads in the Los Angeles area (along with members of Full Sail’s Career Development department) helped out by watering and mulching trees.

Pure Motivation – a group with the mission to harness the power of Full Sail’s creative compassion to positively impact our community – gives students monthly opportunities to help out local organizations in need. This year alone, student volunteers have packed backpacks full of school supplies for children in need (New Hope International), removed litter from the shore of Orlando’s Lake Fran (Keep Orlando Beautiful), built a playground for kids (Oakland Nature Preserve) and more, all while meeting their fellow classmates and earning GPS (Global Professionalism Standard) points.

The Hollywood Pure Motivation event was to benefit the environmental nonprofit organization TreePeople. Volunteers helped water and mulch trees in Los Angeles’s Stetson Ranch Park. L.A.’s tree canopy is a key part of lessening the impact of the drought in Southern California, as the trees can lessen evaporation and harvest rainwater.

Pure Motivation organizers tell us that as long as the interest is there, they hope to continue hosting volunteer events in other cities. Online students, what do you think? Would you volunteer at a Pure Motivation event in your city? Let us know in the comments.

Check out a few photos from Pure Motivation’s Los Angeles event below.

Full Sail’s annual Memorial Day Celebration saw students, faculty, and staff gather on the walkway near FS2 on Friday to remember the men and women who have died serving our country. Although the event started soberly with a memorial ceremony, there was plenty of fun and celebrating as well. The opening ceremony included live music by Full Sail staff members Marcus Ealy and Joel Pickering and heartfelt speeches from staff member Troy East, Ret. Col. Mike Pendergast, and Full Sail President Garry Jones.

The event included food, music, prizes, and a dunk-a-veteran tank. Clubs and veteran associations came out to show their support and networked with attendees. On display were memorial walls for fallen soldiers along with an artwork area where students could paint and draw during the festivities. One of the highlights of the event was the field of flags, where 2,217 individual flags were displayed to represent and thank each Full Saul students who has served in the military.

Check out a few photos from the event below.

When you visit a new airport, hospital, or train station – how do you know where to go? How do you know where to find customs, the emergency room, arrival and departure schedules, or visitor parking? The easy answer is ‘signs’ of course. But there’s a lot more to ‘placing signs’ and moving people than you might imagine.

More formally, the art and science of directing people in motion in major facilities is called ‘wayfinding,’ which falls under the category of environmental design.

Most people never think about what goes into planning the signage in places like airports or bus stations. People mainly only consider signage when it’s not done well and they can’t find what they’re looking for.

But according to award-winning designer Howard York, who specializes in wayfinding and corporate branding, a good wayfinding campaign can take many months to carry out. Designers involved in wayfinding are typically working alongside architects and must take into consideration not only messaging, but safety, security, engineering, branding, and accessibility.

York, who teaches within Full Sail’s Media Design MFA program, has headed up wayfinding and physical corporate branding campaigns for a number of high-profile facilities, including the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, more than 7,000 Taco Bell stores, Exxon and Esso gas stations worldwide, and Nashville’s Music City Central bus terminal.

According to York, there is a lot of research involved in wayfinding. There’s general research that involves how people see things – for instance, how the color and size of a sign and available light affects visibility. Wayfinding projects also depend on project-specific research. For York’s work on the Music City Central bus terminal, the team was able to use data collected by the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority relating to passenger bus usage, peak hours, and off-hours at the original bus terminal.

Based on the traffic data and the floor plans for the new facility, the Nashville team developed user patterns. These were in the form of blueprints, but they could also be computer simulations. “The client signs off on these, and they basically [indicate], ‘These are where the people are going to go,’” says York. “You have to design for worse-case. You don’t design for off-hours, you design for peak hours. So that’s step one.”

Wayfinding diagrams of the King Khalid International Airport in Saudia Arabia.

Step two involves designing the signs. “There are three types of signs: information, identification, and direction. All signage falls under those three categories,” says York. “Information tells you where a destination is, identification basically identifies that destination – restaurant, men’s room, information booth. And then you have directional signs, which basically get you to and from those destinations. Based on the user diagrams, we determined that there were about 25 different types of signs that we needed, falling under the information, identification, and direction categories.”

For the Music City Central bus terminal, York had to create a number of signs and markers to make the main bus throughway safer.

“What happens is that the buses come in and go right across where people are crossing,” says York. “This is a two-way. The problem here is you’re going to look left here to see that there’s a bus coming, and as you’re crossing the crosswalk, you’re going to think it’s clear, and the bus [could] hit you from the right.”

To solve this problem, York and his team designed hanging stop signs at each crosswalk for the buses. They also made sure that people could only cross at the crosswalks by adding physical barriers (including tactile sidewalk strips for the blind) and placing multiple ‘No Pedestrian’ signs in the areas outside of the crosswalks.

Because he was designing for the “Music City,” York included music symbols in part of the wayfinding design. Rather than being labeled by number, “Every single floor in the parking garage was a different musical instrument,” says York.

Once all the signs were designed and categorized (including size, color, material, message, location, and lighting), the complete design package was then submitted to a sign fabricator, who actually made and installed all the signs.

York says that wayfinding is present in some form in every facility, although in some, it’s more of an afterthought. “It really works well when it’s brought in early, and it’s part of the whole design process,” says York.

Although wayfinding involves a technical mindset and an understanding of architecture and design, it could be a good fit for someone with a background in animation and simulation, says York.

York says wayfinding and signage is a rewarding field. “It’s pretty exciting when I go [somewhere] and see my work up on the building,” says York. “I mean it’s very rewarding. Sure, you can click on a website, but it’s not the same as having something in the real environment.”

The FIFA World Cup has been unavoidable this summer, with a month of matches featuring soccer’s best competing for global bragging rights. This year’s games wrapped on July 13 with a championship match in Rio de Janeiro between Argentina and Germany, and Full Sail soccer fans came out to support their favorite team with a finals celebration in the Full Sail Live Venue.

Open to students and staff, the event kicked off with a red carpet walk into the Venue at 2 p.m., with the match starting shortly after at 3 p.m. Food was provided for attendees, some of which came decked out in team jerseys and carrying flags. The halftime break also featured a prize giveaway

This group joined over 26 million Americans who tuned in for the event, making it one of the most-watched soccer games in U.S. history, and you can check out highlights from the Full Sail celebration in the gallery below.

Entertainment and Music Business students and staff had the opportunity to give back to the community as well as see what goes into planning and executing a large-scale charity event when they volunteered for the 2014 Mascot Games at the Amway Center. The Games took place July 25-26 and benefited New Hope for Kids, an organization dedicated to supporting children who have experienced the loss of a loved one, and providing seriously ill children with once in a lifetime experiences through their Children’s Wish Program. The family friendly, gladiator style competition featured 30 Mascots from MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, AFL, and NCAA teams around North America.

Jamie Elasick, who teaches the Event Management course and also served on the planning committee for the event, said, “Planning began at the tail end of 2013 and it has been an amazing ride. Over 80 Full Sailors participated in a variety of ways leading up to and at the games. I was excited to be able to extend the opportunity to so many students to get hands-on experience with a variety of planning aspects for the event, and I’m proud of the hard work and dedication that they showed throughout the days.”

Leadership and Organizational Behavior instructor Maria Spitale added, “The students loved seeing the excitement on the children’s faces during the games. Knowing the importance of this charity to the community made the time spent worth while.”

Pure Motivation also represented Full Sail at the event. 43 Volunteer Initiative Participants (VIPs) showed up on Saturday to assist with setting up and ushering in spectators.

Students were able to translate aspects of their coursework into field experience as a result of volunteering. Because of the nature of the event, volunteers were able to fill whatever role they expressed an interest in. For some, this meant running social media for the Games. For others, it meant interacting with guests, or even the mascots themselves.

“The mascots were a joy to work with,” said Entertainment and Music Business Lab Specialist Marianthy Troupos. “Some of them have been participating in this event for years because they strongly believe in what New Hope stands for. I can’t wait for next year!”

Unpaid internships have been taking a hit in the media lately. Former interns have been filing class-action lawsuits against their former employers more frequently than ever before, alleging they are owed unpaid wages for the hours of work they performed.

There are definitely some exploitative internships out there – ones that don’t meet the standards for unpaid internships set forth by the U.S. Department of Labor – but that doesn’t mean every unpaid opportunity is a total waste of time.

“The first job I received was from an internship,” says Cassi Willard, Esq., the Advanced Entertainment Law Course Director in Full Sail’s Entertainment Business Master’s program. “It was unpaid initially, but it branched into amazing networking and job opportunities. So, personally, I think [internships] are a huge leg up, particularly if your background doesn’t include a lot of work or industry experience.”

If you find a promising opportunity that will give you great experience and boost your resume, then yes, you should take that unpaid internship, says Cassi. Tammy Elliott, Vice President of Full Sail’s Career Development department, agrees.

We spoke with Tammy and Cassi about unpaid internships and what students should know about them. Follow this advice to make sure you’re taking the right opportunity.

DO your research. According to Tammy, this is the most important advice of all, and absolutely shouldn’t be overlooked. “Sometimes these [unpaid] internships are the only way to get your foot in the door,” she says, “and my response to students is always, you best be sure that you want to be on the other side of that door.”

DO ask questions, and lots of them. You need to make sure the internship is the right one for you. Research the company beforehand, and make sure you’re asking important questions in the interview: What are my responsibilities? Who’s going to be mentoring me? Will you work around my schedule? What are the potential opportunities for me after this internship is over?

DON’T get exploited. In order for an unpaid internship to be legal, it has to meet six guidelines laid out by the Department of Labor:

• The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.
• The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.
• The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of the existing staff.
• The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded.
• The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.
• The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

In addition to helping students find and apply for internships, Tammy says the Career Development department frequently works with small and mid-size companies to make sure they’re aware that they need to meet these requirements if they’re looking to add unpaid interns to their roster. If you find yourself in an adverse working situation, immediately address your issues with your mentor.

DO reach out to former interns. Cassi suggests looking for people on LinkedIn who have interned at the company you’re interested in, and asking them about their experience. “Make sure you vet whatever opportunities you have very thoroughly, because not only is it your first experience in the industry potentially, but it is also now a line on your resume,” says Cassi. “It may not be an affiliation you want and it may not be an opportunity worth forgoing something else that’s already out there.”

DON’T do an internship just to get it done, says Tammy. “Do an internship because it affords something of value to you and your career path.”

DO keep looking for what’s next. “Many students think once they’ve accepted an internship, they need to be completely devoted and stop everything else they’re doing,” says Tammy. “You don’t have to.” Be devoted to the hours you work your internship, yes, but spend your other time networking, freelancing, working a part-time job, and looking for a full-time job. It’s all about working toward that next step.

Full Sail University, a leader in providing degree programs in the fields of entertainment and media, received two of the highest honors given by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC).

Full Sail student Harmony Jones was named the 2014 Graduate of the Year for her outstanding civic contributions and educational success. Full Sail University, based in Central Florida, was named the 2014 School of the Year at the FAPSC annual conference held recently in Miami.

Military veteran Harmony Jones first graduated from Full Sail University in 2002 with an associates in Recording Arts, then enlisted in the U.S. Army. Her talents and skills led her to be assigned to the Army band and chorus during a tour in Europe. Her active duty and civilian assignments included Germany, Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait.

Jones was seriously wounded in a vehicle accident in Kuwait. After months of physical therapy, she decided upon recovery to take on a new challenge – going back to school. She returned to Full Sail University and completed her second degree, a bachelor’s in Entertainment Business.

Upon graduation, Jones moved to Dubai to work as a program and presentations coordinator for a company involved in a multi-billion dollar airport expansion. Her passion for learning continues as she pursues a master’s degree in Business Intelligence at Full Sail University.

“Harmony’s journey has clearly been an incredible one. But what is more incredible is her courageous and giving attitude,” said Curtis Austin, executive director of FAPSC. “She continues to serve others – offering advice and assisting them with their decision making about post-graduation life.”

As FAPSC School of the Year, Full Sail was recognized for its many unique offerings, including the Global Professional Standard program. GPS tracks students throughout their education to ensure they are well rounded in the technical and professional skills sought by potential employers.

Full Sail also is a model for forging civic and creative partnerships that extend learning outside of the classroom. One initiative is Pure Motivation, a series of monthly events that bring Full Sail’s student body together to help aid Central Florida community-based organizations in need. Among the university’s industry collaboration initiatives, Full Sail University and the sports entertainment company WWE announced a partnership where episodes of the WWE’s NXT series are taped in the Full Sail Live Venue, and Full Sail students receive hands-on learning opportunities and unprecedented access to participate in production roles behind the scenes with the WWE’s professional production crew.

“Full Sail University strives to provide students with an innovative style of education delivered by a staff of dedicated individuals focused on preparing students for career opportunities available in the ever-growing and constantly evolving creative fields of entertainment and media,” Austin said.

FAPSC has been the voice of Florida’s career schools since 1956. The association of more than 250 members works on behalf of the more than 1,000 licensed private career schools and colleges in Florida that prepare 300,000 students each year for employment by offering degree programs, certification and training.

On August 26^th PRIDE hosted a speed networking session in the Full Sail library. The event was open to both campus and online students, who were able to join in on the action via Skype. Modeled after speed dating, participants had three minutes to network with their partners before rotating.

Creative Writing For Entertainment student Adam Kuta, who serves as president of PRIDE, said the event was born out of a desire to build connections between campus and online students. “Obviously, networking is a huge part of what’s taught here at Full Sail,” said Adam. “We’re really happy with how the event turned out, and we’d love to host more.”

Dozens of campus and online students representing a wide array of degree programs participated. Sports Marketing & Media student Dylan Schimka says he felt the event was a natural way to meet people because everyone is going in to the experience with an open mind.

“It’s a good way to get your foot in the door,” said Dylan. “You start off communicating normally, and as the conversation moves on you start to get into more industry related connections. You develop relationships.”

Dylan also recognized the social value of the event. “I just moved down here on Monday from Chicago. I’m 19 hours away from home, and this is a great way to meet new people. Everyone that I’ve talked to has been really nice and interesting.”

For more information on upcoming events, check out PRIDE on Connect.

The decision to pursue a college degree is an investment on many levels. First, you’re investing in your passion by giving yourself time to foster it in a supportive environment. Second, you’re investing in the future by building the experience necessary to work in the field of your choosing. But what about that other investment, the one that has less to do with dreams and more to do with cold, hard cash? Paying for school can be a major financial burden, especially when you factor in supplies like textbooks and cost of living expenses like rent, groceries, and gas. According to College Board, these expenses can cost the average student up to $10,000 annually, on top of what they’re paying for tuition.

Ty Clark, a Financial Aid Advisor for Full Sail’s online programs, says it’s important for incoming students to know that they have options when it comes to supplementing standard loans. “In addition to offering a number of scholarships that both campus and online students might apply for, we encourage all of our students to take advantage of every outside opportunity for funding they can find,” he says.

Last year, financial aid topped out at around $238 billion. Federal loans make up the vast majority (46%) of aid, while an estimated 29% come from private, state, and institutionally backed grants and scholarships—that’s nearly $70 billion.

“There’s scholarship money out there,” says Ty. “Beyond what we offer here, it’s on the student to go out and find it.”

Since so many scholarships are dependent on individual factors such as income and academic merit, Ty recommends using a free, customizable search service like the one offered by Sallie Mae. Once you’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the scholarships you’re eligible for, it’s time to start applying.

“Apply as soon as you think you might attend,” says Ty. “If you don’t get a scholarship the first time around, keep applying. You may qualify to get it down the road.”

There are dozens of different types of awards, and each one will have its own application criteria. The most common types of scholarships can be broken down as follows:

Academic and Merit Scholarships

These awards are presented to students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance. The term may also be applied to funding awarded as a result of a demonstrated talent, such as artistic or musical ability. Most academic scholarships require the student to maintain a certain GPA in order to qualify or keep their scholarship. Full Sail’s Student Success and Merit scholarships are examples of academic based scholarships.

Community Service Scholarships

Usually associated with an organization, community service scholarships are awarded to students who volunteer for a specific cause or service. Some organizations, like Americorps, ask you to complete service requirements prior to applying, while others simply ask that you devote a few hours a month to service over the course of your college career. Many students find the act of giving back to be an enjoyable way to spend their time. Picking a cause that genuinely interests you increases the likelihood for a successful partnership with an organization. In addition to being a potential avenue for scholarships, community service looks great on a resume once you graduate.

Career Specific Scholarships

These types of scholarships are usually funded by schools, alumni, or companies who wish to encourage the growth of a specific field. By investing in students who demonstrate an interest or talent for a particular type of work, these individuals ensure a stronger workforce down the road. As with academic scholarships, these types of awards generally require students to maintain a good GPA, and funds can only be applied toward degree programs associated with a specific line of work. Full Sail offers scholarships to eligible campus students interested in the field of Emerging Technology.

Need-Based Scholarships

These scholarships are determined by a recipient’s individual need. Since they’re usually based on income, students applying for this type of aid should be prepared to show proof of income in the form of tax documents or pay records. Awards may be provided in the form of a lump sum, or they might be distributed incrementally by semester. Full Sail offers several need-based scholarships, including the Pathway Scholarship for campus students and the Perseverance Scholarship for online students.

Demographics-Based Scholarships

Scholarships based on demographics are wide and varied, though they typically provide aid to underserved populations.Race, gender, income, geographic location, and family history are just a few examples of information these scholarships may take into account. Many of these types of scholarships aim to support first generation college students. Others seek to diversify the workforce in certain fields. An example of a demographic-based scholarship is Full Sail’s Entertainment & Media Industry Scholarship for Women.

Finally, there’s no limit to how many scholarships you can apply for, so get to searching! For more information on any of the scholarships mentioned, download Full Sail’s Scholarship Guide or contact Full Sail’s Financial Aid department via phone or the web.

In the nine years since its debut, YouTube has grown to include some of the most dynamic original content on the web. What was once a community of hobbyists is now a viable career option for many of the site’s popular users. Some of YouTube’s more prolific content creators have even brought on production assistants to offset the amount of work necessary keep a channel running.

“Most YouTubers start out as a one man show,” says Dan Dobi, a 2005 Entertainment Business grad and producer of the YouTube documentary Please Subscribe. “For people who become really massive, it’s totally normal to scale production needs and start hiring staff.”

The reality of a production staff is something viewers might not initially consider when clicking the subscribe button. Much of what makes YouTube special is the relationship between stars and their audiences. Since content is delivered directly, viewers feel connected to their favorite YouTubers in a way that’s different from any other type of celebrity. While bringing on additional help is a hallmark of runaway success, Dan doesn’t see it as hindering a YouTuber’s accessibility.

“I think that hiring staff changes the value of what viewers are getting for the better,” he says. “Bringing on help allows content creators to do what they do best—create. Without help, a YouTuber can easily burn out under the stress of doing everything themselves. It’s the evolution of the business.”

As more of these types of production jobs become available, they provide opportunities for people who might share the average YouTuber’s enthusiasm for the medium.

“Work ethic is as important as background experience,” says Dan. ”Personally, when I hire people for jobs, I want them to bring the right attitude. Those best suited for this type of work are people who are willing to learn and see this as a passion more than a job.”

To avoid competing interests, that passion should extend to work behind the camera. If your goal is to work in front of the camera, you’ll be better off starting your own channel than attempting to crash someone else’s. It also helps to keep in mind the unique nature of the content.

“The skills needed to work one of these production assistant jobs is really dependent on the situation. I don’t think we can lump all YouTubers together. Essentially, these are individuals, and they all have different needs,” says Dan.

Ultimately, a willingness to embrace the work as a passion project is key when you consider that most YouTubers might not be able to offer benefits or other perks associated with more traditional jobs. However, many YouTube PA’s enjoy the challenge of working on a small team to help build something from the ground up. This, along with the excitement of working in a field that’s experiencing exponential growth, is often incentive enough for production assistants to stick around.

For those interested in pursuing this line of work, Dan suggests reaching out to content creators directly and offering to work for them on a trial basis. “If you get that far, it’s time to prove yourself. Full Sail students are trained to be on time and go the extra mile. You might be in class up to eight or 12 hours a day. Bring that restlessness to the workplace and show you’re ready to do whatever it takes.”

Who’s ready for Spring Break?

Whether you’ve got awesome travel plans, are heading back home, or are just hanging around campus for the week, we’ve got a few suggestions for how to have a fulfilling few days away from school.

Reach out to potential employers. Career Development Advisor Tony Mardini suggests that students nearing graduation call studios or companies they’re interested in interning or working at to find out who they should send their resume to. “Have a script ready. It just needs to be a couple of sentences,” says Tony. “Something like, ‘Good morning, my name is Tony and I’m about to graduate from Full Sail. I’m calling to find out who I should send my resume to for applying for an internship.’” Tony suggests reaching out to 3-5 studios or companies – it will be motivating to know people are interested in seeing your resume.

See a movie. A few of the new releases in theaters now include Captain America: The Winter Soldier (which several Full Sail grads worked on), Transcendence, Oculus, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Noah.

Volunteer Your Time. Helping out a nonprofit organization is an easy, rewarding way to make your resume more impressive and earn GPS points. Kari Ramirez in Full Sail’s Professional Development department suggests checking the Community Volunteer Opportunities page on Connect, which provides information on both local and national organizations in need of volunteers.

Play a game. Settle in for a gaming marathon with one of the popular recent releases like Titanfall, Dark Souls II, or Infamous: Second Son.

Revamp your social media sites. Spring Break is a good time to start making sure your social media accounts are appropriate for a professional environment, says Career Development Advisor Jess Pollak. “Make sure you’re following the up and comers in your industry and you’re interacting with them as well,” she says. Jess also suggests getting on LinkedIn and connecting with grads from your degree program who are currently working in the industry. “A lot of Full Sail grads are willing to help other grads,” she says. “It’s all about getting in touch and networking with them.”

Go to a show. If you’re staying near campus for Spring Break, artists stopping by Orlando include Manchester Orchestra (April 19, House of Blues Orlando), Cloud Nothings (April 21, The Social), and Tycho (April 25, The Beacham). If you’re elsewhere, you can see what concerts are happening in your hometown on pollstar.com.

Catch up on sleep. Don’t forget to get some rest, so you can come back from break the week after next ready to conquer all of your coursework.

Any other ideas? Tell us about them in the comments below!

Singer/songwriter Andy Grammer came to campus this April to play an intimate concert at our performing arts venue Full Sail Live. Andy has released the full-length album Andy Grammer and follow-up EP Crazy Beautiful, with the singles “Keep Your Head Up” and “Fine By Me” hitting Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

A select group of tickets were given out to the public, as well as students and staff, who were treated to a six-song acoustic set that included his latest release, “Back Home.” Andy followed his last song with a meet and greet, where he signed autographs, posed for pictures, and spoke with fans.

The concert was sponsored by local radio station Mix 105.1, who interviewed Andy before the show about his visit, performance, and new music. Students from our Show Production program were also on hand to help produce the event alongside Full Sail staff.

Seattle’s Space Needle is among the great U.S. structures. Opened in 1962, the tower stretches over 600 feet high, with an observation deck and restaurant at the top overlooking the city’s downtown and surrounding mountains. The design recalls the height of 60s space race culture, with its saucer-shaped dome and curved supports, and that retro aesthetic was the inspiration behind its new website developed by Royale.

Originally founded in Los Angeles in 2007 by Brien Holman, Jen Lucero, and Jayson Whitmore, the award-winning design studio opened a Seattle branch last year, with the Space Needle project among their first major efforts. Their redesign of the site captures the spirit of the era the Needle was built, and updates it with innovative web features. Graphics and facts glide onto the screen as you scroll up from its base to the top of the tower, and keeps going with some surprises as you climb miles into space.

“Space Needle needed a new website and we wanted to create something that was fun and that was using some newer technology,” Jayson Whitmore says. “Overall we wanted to make something that was intuitive and easy to use, and was also a little tongue-in-cheek. It’s a very simple site that was beautifully designed and has gotten a lot of recognition – the team worked really hard on it.”

Jayson is a three-time Full Sail graduate and 2009 Hall of Fame inductee, and the opening of Royale’s Seattle branch has been a proud achievement for him and the studio’s co-founders as they explore new territory. While the L.A. office has made a name for itself with motion graphics work for Apple, Nike, Toyota, and MTV,Seattle is primarily focused on the digital realm, and how to blend Royale’s style with content for different platforms.

“It had been on the back of mine and my business partners’ minds that an expansion into that world was necessary, and its been incredible,” he says. “When we opened up the shop in Seattle it had three people and now we’re up to about 25, and have been jamming out some really innovative products. We have some incredibly talented thinkers up there that influence our work down here.”

There’s a clear symbiotic relationship between the two branches, with a focus on making them feel like one studio in terms of communication and workflow, while still having their own unique culture that helps inform each other’s output. Jayson sees the Space Needle project as just the beginning of what Royale as a whole can contribute to the digital industry, and they have been experimenting with coding, game engines, and experimental data tracking, and how to use them to help brands communicate to the world in an attractive and engaging way.

“I haven’t been this excited about our industry in a really long time,” he says. “We have a lot of other projects coming up that I can’t talk about that are very exciting and innovative, so we’ve only just scratched the surface of where we’re going in the integration of media. It’s a time to expand out and dream big, and it’s up to ourselves not to hold back and make it happen. There’s no reason why we can’t help define the next phase of what the digital language will be.”

A 4:30 a.m. call time didn’t deter 127 students from volunteering last Saturday morning on behalf of Pure Motivation and Full Sail at the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in downtown Orlando. The American Cancer Society fundraiser saw approximately 55,000 people come out to participate in the 5k walk, which raised money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.

Students helped with setting up and breaking down stages and sign-up tents, and then stuck around to hand out water bottles and cheer on the crowd during the walk. Besides those student volunteers, Full Sail was a major sponsor of the event, providing the stages (on which bands and musicians provided entertainment for the crowd), an audio production team, and camera crews to capture the event. Entertainment Business master’s and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program Director Ron Cook, who serves as the event’s Entertainment Chair, has been a big part of helping the event grow to be the third largest of its kind in the country. This is the fourth year that Full Sail has been a part of the Making Strides event.

Full Sail staff members participated in the walk as well – a team of employees walked in memory of Marilyn Usher, a former Admissions employee who lost her battle to breast cancer earlier this year. They were supported by Full Sail President Garry Jones, who came out to cheer them on.

The $850,000 raised from the event will go toward research, prevention, and treatment programs for patients.

Check out some photos from the event below.

Now What? is a series dedicated to providing strategies for a successful post graduate experience. Have a suggestion for a topic you’d like to see featured here? Let us know in the comments.

 As a writer, you probably have your own reasons for generating stories. Maybe it’s how you process things, by creating fictional spaces through which to understand the world. Maybe something you read once deeply impacted you, inspiring you to try your hand at storytelling. Maybe you just like to make stuff up. Whatever the reason, most writers feel compelled to do what they do out of a sense of wanting to share their unique perspective with readers.

“I like to say that you need to be as creative in submitting your work as you are in creating your work,” says Sidney Williams, a Course Director in Full Sail’s Creative Writing program. If you’re ready to publish your work but don’t quite know where to start, here are some tips on how to get your writing out of your documents folder and into the world.

Research Different Markets
There are thousands of publications out there, representing a wide array of genres and disciplines. It’s important to make sure you’re sending work out to places that have a natural alignment with what you’re trying to do. For instance, you wouldn’t send a hard-boiled detective story to The Fairytale Review. “All of the writer’s magazines have their own tone,” says Sidney. “I think it’s good to become familiar with what they really have to offer to you.”

Researching a publication before you submit ensures that you won’t waste your time or an editor’s time. You can find publications (also known as markets) via several sources:

• NewPages is an online guide to the publishing world, and offers a searchable database of literary journals and independent publishers.
• Duotrope is a submission management service that also allows you to search over 2,000 markets for a small monthly fee.
• Poets and Writers magazine offers craft essays, interviews with notable writers, and an extensive classifieds section featuring hundreds of calls for submissions.
• Writer’s Market is a comprehensive market directory featuring contact information for publishers and agents. Like Duotrope, it also requires a small monthly fee in exchange for membership.

Another quick way to vet potential markets is by researching the publication history of writers with whom you share a literary or stylistic kinship. If you come across a story or novel that you particularly love, take a look at the author’s bio. Where else have they published? Who is their agent? If you’re working in a similar genre, then those markets might be a good fit for your work as well.

Build Up a Network of Fellow Writers
It’s easy to think of writing as a solitary pursuit, since so much of the work happens in isolation. But when it comes to finding a home for a finished piece, other writers and industry professionals can be a fantastic resource.

“Getting out there, being around other people with the same creative energy and vibe that you feel, I think, is great,” says Sidney. He suggests attending conferences and writing retreats whenever possible. As you start to build a community of writing contacts, you may find that they can offer you a unique insight into the industry. “Often, meeting other writers will allow you to discover additional opportunities, because they may be figuring out the ropes in an arm of publishing you haven’t even thought about yet,” he says.

Write Your Cover Letter
When it comes to cover letters, keep it short. Address your letter directly to the editor of the publication. You can usually find this information on the “masthead,” or list of staff located in the front matter of a magazine, or in the “about us” section of an online journal. You should include the title of your work, the word count, and whether or not it’s been published somewhere else. If you are submitting the work simultaneously (meaning it’s out for consideration at more than one place), mention that as well, with a promise to let the publisher know if the work is accepted elsewhere.

You can also list previous publications, although again, it’s prudent to keep the list short. Remember, you’re merely demonstrating to the editor that you have prior publishing experience rather than listing your entire C.V. As with any cover letter, take the time to carefully read the guidelines of the publication you’re submitting to. Some publishers will ask that you submit a short bio along with your work, others may ask that you don’t submit work simultaneously. At the end of your cover letter, thank the editor in advance for their time and sign your name.

Track Your Submissions
Technology has refined the process to the point that the vast majority of publishers now accept online submissions. The fact that you can easily submit your work is great, but what happens when you have to track all of those submissions?

As previously mentioned, there are a few online submission management services out there, many of which require a small (and totally worth it) subscription fee. If you can’t swing the subscription fee, a simple spreadsheet tracking where and when you sent a story and when you expect to hear back will do the trick. It’s imperative to track your work, that way you can avoid duplicate submissions and you’ll know when to withdraw simultaneous submissions if a piece gets picked up.

“I used to use a calendar,” laughs Sidney. “I would mark on the date that a story went out, then when a rejection came in I would mark where the story was going to go next.” Whatever means you use, an organized approach to the submission process will make it easier to present yourself as professional.

Push Through Rejections
Finally, the most important thing to remember is to keep submitting. The fact is, getting a rejection is simply not as fun as having your work accepted for publication. However, you should bear in mind that editors reject work for all kinds of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with the quality of the writing. A piece may not fit in with the theme of an issue, for instance, or the word count might be off. If a journal or magazine has recently published a few stories in a similar genre, then they may wish to diversify their offerings, resulting in the rejection of an otherwise perfectly publishable piece. Don’t let rejections hold sway over your decision to submit elsewhere, because it may take some time to find the right home for you work.

“Do everything you can to get your work out there,” says Sidney. “I used to stick my rejections up on my bedroom wall. It was symbolic that I was sending stuff out. If you are continuously working, you are continuously improving.”

On November 8, Full Sail hosted the Central Florida TESOL Mini-Conference. The event featured ten professional development sessions geared toward the scholarship of teaching English to speakers of other languages in Central Florida and beyond. The conference also featured keynote speaker Dorina Sackman, 2014’s Florida Teacher of the year and educational motivational speaker.

Students and educators from across Central Florida were invited to attend the event, with presenters representing a variety of institutions including Full Sail, the College Board, Valencia College, University of Central Florida, Embry-Riddle’s Language Institute, and the State Department’s English Language Fellows. Four of the ten presentations were delivered by instructors from Full Sail’s English as a Second Language certificate track.

“It was a pleasure to welcome fellow members of Central Florida TESOL to Full Sail for our 2014 conference and have the opportunity to exchange ideas and methodologies with peers in the ESL field,” said Tereza Vieira-Reed, Vice President of the Central Florida chapter of TESOL and Program Director of Full Sail’s English as a Second Language certificate courses. “We were proud to host Dorina Sackman, and thoroughly enjoyed her inspiring presentation on Writing Strategies for the English Learner, as well as the sessions led by experts in the English as a Second Language field, including six of our own Full Sail faculty members.”

2014 Florida Teacher of the Year Dorina Sackman presented the keynote address at the Central Florida TESOL Mini-Conference.

We’ve decided that Pie Day is the sweetest of Full Sail campus traditions. For over a decade, members of the Academic Success Team have been sending students off on Thanksgiving Break with a free slice (or three) of pie. Team members will be out on the FS2 and FS3 patios today from 11:00 a.m to 1 p.m., handing out the goods. On the lineup for this year is pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, and pecan pie, along with some cheesecake too.

Enjoy your pie, and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving break!