If you aren’t a fan of networking, Victoria Whetzel ’17, can tell you why it’s an essential part to landing a dream job right after graduation. Victoria is currently seeing the Big Apple through the eyes of CBS Broadcasting Network. Life in New York has been a whirlwind for this Communication Artsmajor, from working at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to CBS This Morning and even CBS Sports.
Victoria is part of the Page Program at CBS, which is an 18-month-long program offered through the network.
Victoria said, “The super amazing Dean [Jay] Abraham introduced me to a connection he had at CBS, and that connection introduced me to the Page Program. Dean Abraham was crucial in my job search and college career. I met with him several times to discuss my future plans and he happily put me in contact with many of his connections.”
It may seem that Victoria has her hands full tackling so many things at CBS, but she is not new to staying busy and involved with an abundance of things. While at Catawba, Victoria wrote and recorded “The Catawba Minute” and co-hosted The Morning Show on WSAT Radio in Salisbury.
“I worked part-time for the Catawba Theatre Department with marketing and event planning. I was a Catawba Scholar at First Presbyterian and spent two summers working professionally at Theatre West Virginia.”
Along with a few other internships and jobs, Victoria was able to dabble in several areas of interest to her while still a student at Catawba.
There are people, mentors and moments that Victoria credits for helping her succeed in this new position at CBS, one of those being her liberal arts education.
“Shout out to my liberal arts education because it taught me how to be a person, how to understand those who were different than me, how to appreciate others for their quirks, passions and beliefs, how to take risks, how to fail, and how to succeed. If I had ideas for the school or if I wanted to plan an event, President Lewis and Catawba never told me no. Catawba never stopped me, instead Catawba supported and loved me for four unforgettable years.”
When asked why prospective students should consider Catawba if they are interested in Communications or Theatre Arts, Victoria said, “If you want to have the freedom to design an ideal life for yourself, Catawba makes it possible for you to do so. Catawba won’t do it for you, but Catawba will help you along the way.”
