Recent CSUDH graduate Karlynn Parker, overlooks the pandemic and has her eye set on being a producer. Photo courtesy of Karlynn Parker.
By Gabriela Medina, Staff Reporter
The pandemic may have caused many graduating students of California State University, Dominguez Hills to feel uncertain about their lives after graduating, but CSUDH alumna, Karlynn Parker, felt prepared thanks to the support of her friends and department.
Parker recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in film, television, and media in fall 2020. Her goal is to work in the film industry as a producer, where she would be responsible for materializing the script, searching for locations, putting together props, hiring background actors, and most importantly keeping communication between all of the moving parts.
When the switch from on-campus to online learning occurred due to the pandemic, Parker struggled to find the motivation to stay on course, which became difficult and overwhelming with classes being virtual.
“Managing virtual classes was a challenge, but the film, television, and media (FTVM) department was very helpful,” Parker said.
Being a full-time student with a total of six classes surprisingly worked out for her. She dedicated school on certain days based on her course schedule, which had given her flexibility to manage other responsibilities such as working for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) as a special education assistant and being involved in her church’s media team. Unfortunately, her job had been shut down due to the pandemic, but the extra time had allowed her to work on short films and other projects as an associate producer.
She had always looked forward to her graduation day, and even while being in a pandemic, her mindset had never changed. Parker felt even more motivated to graduate considering that she had been in school every year, non-stop for the last 20 years since kindergarten. She realized that it was time to move on and was confident that if she could graduate in the midst of a pandemic, she can really do anything. But like several other students, Parker had her doubts.
“I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it,” Parker said. “This last semester was extremely hard and when I realized I was about to graduate, it felt surreal. To know that this was it and that I was going to be graduating in spite of being in a whole pandemic. On top of being Black in America and processing the police brutality, racial injustices, civil uprisings, and a nerve-wracking election while also managing my own personal woes this was a huge triumph for me and I thank God for it.”
When it came to preparing for graduation, the FTVM department has helped her immensely by encouraging her to apply for the Professional Mentorship Program, where students are paired with a working professional in the entertainment industry. By being a member of the program, Parker has formed a relationship with her mentor who has taught her to gain confidence for the various projects she began.
“Even though I’ve graduated, I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned in school and I’m excited to merge my knowledge with hands-on experience,” Parker said. “I’m still figuring things out in terms of my future, but I for sure want to produce and direct film and content that highlights factions of life that are often overlooked within film and media.”
Parker has her sights on working as a producer for Jubilee Media, and she’s currently freelancing and building up her experience. In December, Parker was working as a production assistant on a project directed by Maya Cryor, a close friend of hers from her church when another director, Melissa Eno Effa, reached out to Parker and asked her to be a part of her team.
Together they produced “Cherish You,” a short film celebrating the beauty and interdependence of Black love and marriage in the form of dance. Throughout the dance, you see the ups and downs in waves of emotion with one dancer carrying the other, promising to not let each other fall.
Parker believes that working with Effa is a great way for her to learn more about the entertainment field. She hopes to continue working with the director as she is grateful for being able to learn from someone she considers a visionary and a builder.
It’s been challenging to find a consistent job during the pandemic, but Parker feels blessed to have the opportunity to work on different projects. She thought about how other graduates had struggled to find a job in their fields, even before the pandemic occurred. Although times are more difficult at the moment, she encourages other students to push themselves until they are in the place they want to be.
Parker advises current graduating students to create a schedule to balance out their personal and school responsibilities and to not be afraid to reach out to friends and professors. She also says students should take advantage of their department’s opportunities and CSUDH’s Handshake.
“In moments where I felt like giving up, my friends and my professors helped push me through,” Parker said. “They are here to help you and they want to help you. For those searching for a job, your professors are still good resources and can help give you some direction. It’s challenging right now but I promise you can make it through.”
