Major: Motion Picture/Television
Anisa Selenica was 8 years old when her parents bought her a Canon camcorder for her birthday.
“I made videos with my sisters, cousins and friends, and then I pursued this interest by taking TV and film classes at Riverside Brookfield High School with my teacher, Gary Prokes,” she said. “I won a few awards for my work, which ultimately helped me decide that this was my career path.”
However, she was unsure where to go for college. Selenica was not ready financially to enroll at a four-year school but did not think a community college would have a creative field option. It was Prokes who told her to look at College of DuPage.
“My older sister was already going there, so I went to visit the MPTV (Motion Picture/Television) department and was happy there was an affordable option for me to pursue my career,” she said. “COD offers so many opportunities to try out a path and feel if is the perfect fit.”
Selenica transferred to Columbia College through a transfer agreement with the MPTV program and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in television writing and producing. Finding a steady job in the entertainment industry during the pandemic was difficult, but that didn’t stop her from trying new things and pursuing different types of work.
COD helped me meet my goals because I developed personal connections with my professors and peers.
Anisa Selenica
For example, she took a production assistant (PA) training class in New York City for two days and, through the connections she made, landed a PA job on “The Morning Show,” a television series starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
“I got to work closely with the New York and Los Angeles units and met some celebrities on the show,” she said. “Then I worked at Swagger Marketing as a producer and helped coordinate each commercial shoot for our clients, such as Dremel and Bosch. Now I work at ABC7 Chicago as a studio technician, hoping to become a broadcast engineer. Landing the job at ABC7 all came from my friend I met at COD. I am truly grateful.”
Selenica advises students to stay connected to their peers from school.
“COD helped me meet my goals because I developed personal connections with my professors and peers,” she said. “They may be the ones who give you a job, or you will be the one hiring for a position. You remember the people you worked with, and you start to expand their resumes and yourself. Still today, I make short films with my closest friends I met through COD.
“I love the phrase ‘never give up’ because it’s true that you’re going to hit some bumpy roads on your journey into your career, and it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster of a ride, but it will be all worth it in the end.”
Learn more about the Motion Picture/Television program at College of DuPage