Read all about our Co-President Carter Smalley’s semester abroad in Los Angeles!

By: Carter Smalley

Last spring, I had an amazing experience studying in Los Angeles and soaking in the entertainment industry. From the warm weather, to the celebrity sightings, to the sprawling beaches: Los Angeles is unlike any other city. LA wasn’t all fun and games; I still dealt with the insane traffic, classes and an internship. When I first landed in the City of Angels, I had to find my internship right away. As soon I touched down in LAX, I was off to the races interviewing for many different internship opportunities. After a week in Los Angeles, I was offered an internship working in the publicity department at E!

Working at E! was a truly a dream and one of the best experiences of my life. I was thrown into the craziness of a public relations office from day one. From putting together press clippings, developing reports, writing press materials and sending out media alerts. E! was a fast-paced environment and often challenging but it taught me a lot about the professional workplace. I assisted each publicist on their shows and kept up with current events in pop culture. I got to work on Fashion Police, E! News, #RichKids of Beverly Hills and The Royals. As the only intern in my department, the publicists made sure to keep me busy and rewarded my hard work.

During my free time, I spent time exploring Los Angeles and the Southern California coast. I visited Santa Monica, Laguna Beach, Malibu and more. Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world and many television shows are taped there. My friends and I sat in the audience for Ellen, Conan, and the CBS sitcom, Mom. I also enjoyed some laid back weekends lying around the pool and hanging in the Jacuzzi. Some of my most memorable experiences in LA included working the Oscar’s Red Carpet rehearsal and attending the Grammy’s Salute to Stevie Wonder. Overall, my semester in Los Angeles solidified my future career in public relations and passion for the entertainment industry. Until we meet again LA…