DETROIT (WWJ) - One of the toughest careers to launch is one in the entertainment industry. But, two students from Michigan are well on their way to successful careers in entertainment after getting a major kick start. The two were selected to the prestigious Television Academy Foundation's Summer Fellowship Program. In part one of her two-part series, WWJ's Terri Lee introduces us to Claire Mildred of Novi, Michigan.
Mildred graduated from Novi High School before going on to graduate from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania with a major in costume design. You could call her a wunderkind considering she decided on her career choice a mere six years ago.
"It wasn't about til middle of high school that I figured out that costume designer was a job, and that I could go for it, Mildred told Lee.
And go for it she did, becoming just one of 50 students selected from across the country for the Television Academy Foundation's Summer Fellowship Program. And, she's the ONLY student in the program focusing on costume design. Because of the coronavirus, this year's program is being held virtually.
"The person running the costumes program, her name is Terry Gordon, and she's wonderful," Mildred said. "She has been helping me meet, have Zooms with lots of industry professionals in different fields like costume design, assistant costume designers, wardrobe supervisors, cast interns that were just the costume interns; and all these people she can think of, she sets up all these meetings for me, so I get to know them, talk to them, get their contact information and ask them any other questions I want to."
Mildred says not only is she making important connections, she's also preparing for life after the pandemic.
"We alternate between having things like this is how to build your resume, this is how to build your brand, this is how to network, how to interview, and having panels of people who work in the industry come in and talk to us and give us tips."
As if costume design doesn't keep her busy enough, while in college, Mildred also studied Mandarin. It's a relatively new hobby she says, although it just might come in useful when she gets back to work and makes the move to the west coast.
"There's a couple of designers based in L.A., who do sci-fi or really big projects who actually set up - we call them workshops - and it's where our makers, our drapers, our stitchers - all of the people that work to make clothes from scratch work; and they will on occasion set them up ... in China, in places like Shanghai because that's where the fabric is produced, or one of the places fabric is produced, so it's a great opportunity where you can go there, you can get the fabric and have it next day in the shop working on it."
I think it's a safe bet to say that one day, we'll all see Mildred walking onstage to collect an award for costume design. See what I mean by visiting her website here.
Follow Terri on Twitter @TerriJLee
Member:Critics Choice Association African American Film Critics Association SAG-AFTRA