While graduation is swiftly approaching and Emerson seniors are eagerly preparing to enter their first full-time jobs, “do something you’re passionate about” has become a popular mantra. In Paige Newman’s case, it means switching her major halfway through her college career, and in Tatiana Motevalli-Oliner’s it means accepting a job offer she once thought she never would.

Tatiana Motevalli-Oliner, a senior marketing communications major, will be traveling back to her hometown of Baltimore after graduation to work as the Development Coordinator for Blue Jays Unlimited at Johns Hopkins University.

Blue Jays Unlimited is part of the Department of Athletics at the university and focuses on raising funds and sponsoring programs and receptions for the athletic teams. 

“Since I’m from Baltimore, I’m a huge Hopkins lacrosse fan and I grew up respecting the university,” she said. “I’m really excited to actually work there.”

Working at Johns Hopkins will introduce her to different levels of fundraising and collaboration with other schools and universities, according to Motevalli-Oliner. 

She said she especially looks forward to serving the athletic teams, called the Blue Jays, because she is a collegiate softball athlete herself.

“This is the perfect position for me,” she said. “This job combines my marketing degree with my interests in non-profit and sports.”

Motevalli-Oliner said she’s been working in development for Emerson for the past few years, and her boss, Jeffrey Schoenherr, helped her build a connection with the employers at Johns Hopkins. 

Since Schoenherr previously held a development position at Johns Hopkins, he was easily able to set her up with an informational interview that eventually led to a job interview, she said. 

“Emerson has trained me extremely well for this job and skill-wise, I’m ready,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for better teachers.”

While she never thought she would end up working in higher education, Motevalli-Oliner said she’s glad she kept an open mind because she’s certain this job is a great fit.

Paige Newman, a senior visual and media arts major, is currently interning at Dreamworks Animation and will bump up her standing with the company this summer after she graduates from the Emerson Los Angeles campus.

While she has currently been working as an unpaid intern on Home, an animated film starring Steve Martin and Rihanna, she will advance to a full-time, paid internship as a production assistant in visual development.

Her main duties will be assisting the production manager in communicating ideas through organizing calendars and art boards, and sitting in on executive meetings, according to Newman.

“Visual development is cool because it helps bring the story to life,” she said. “We provide directors with images from artists so they can envision their films.”

An Emerson alum employed by Dreamworks helped Newman land the job when an opening became available, she said.

She said she especially enjoys working at Dreamworks because the company creates a comfortable environment, with focuses on networking and connecting, for interns.

“There’s so many opportunities for interns and they’re all hands on,” she said. “Interns aren’t even allowed to do pick ups like coffee runs.”

Having entered Emerson as a performing arts major, Newman said she decided to switch to visual and media arts in 2012 after performing in the EVVY Awards and taking immense interest in how the show was produced. 

If she were able to speak to her freshman self at this point in her career, Newman said she would stress the importance of Emerson’s network and the value of working to exceed people’s expectations.

“[I would say to] use Emerson’s network to your full advantage and never underestimate the power of following up with people and saying thank you,” she said. “It makes a huge difference.”