Newton Resident Gets Up Close and Personal at the Oscars

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Jennifer Segal posing with an Oscar statue.

ITHACA, NY (07/01/2013)(readMedia)--  The Oscars are one of the most glamorous and well-loved Hollywood events, as millions of television viewers tune in every year to see their favorite celebrities, designer gowns and awkward acceptance speeches. One lucky Newton resident didn't need to watch it on TV this past year, as she got an up-close-and-personal view of the spectacle.

Jennifer Segal, a 2010 graduate of Newton South High School and current junior at Ithaca College, spent the spring semester interning with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization responsible for the Academy Awards.

At the Oscars, Segal got to walk the red carpet and attend the Governor's Ball, though her internship wasn't all glamour. She had major responsibilities for AMPAS, including distributing press releases and monitoring media coverage.

"On just my second full day of interning, I was the sole person in charge of distributing the nomination results to the press after they were announced by Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone," she said. "During the actual show, my main job was in the press room, helping with the transcription and distribution to media outlets of acceptance speeches and backstage interviews."

Segal's interest in entertainment public relations drove her to apply for the internship. She is only the second intern that her AMPAS department has taken on in its history.

"After interviewing, I found out that same day that I got the position and accepted. This was an incredible opportunity that I knew I had to take right away."

Segal was part of ICLA, a program for students in Ithaca College's Roy H. Park School of Communications that allows them to spend a semester living and interning in Los Angeles. Along with her internship she also took two online classes, Organizational Speech Writing and Travel Writing.

She said her two on-campus jobs and her positions on the executive boards of several student organizations prepared her for ICLA and gave her the confidence to accept such a high-profile internship.

"Before going to LA, I learned so much about professional etiquette, the communications industry and media relations," she said. "My major, communication management and design, is so flexible and can be applied to so many professions."

Although her time with the Academy is over, Segal isn't resting on her laurels. This summer she has two more internships lined up, at MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures. She hopes to continue working in the entertainment industry after graduating next May.

"I had such an exceptional experience at the Oscars, I might be going down a path of film publicity, but regardless of what profession I choose, I know the experiences I have had at IC and my internships will be integral in the path I go down."

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From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for personal and professional success through hands-on experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York's Finger Lakes region, the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 400 graduate students and offers over 100 degree programs in its schools of Business, Communications, Humanities and Sciences, Health Science and Human Performance, and Music.