Greetings from

Even after 125 years of school on the Hilltop, new educational opportunities are still being created for SG students. One of the latest? A weeklong trip across the country to learn about the inner workings of the entertainment industry. 

THE FIRST ANNUAL “Dragons in Hollywood” trip took place last spring, April 17–22. Ten students and three faculty/ staff members went to Los Angeles to meet with St. George’s alumni and learn about various aspects of show business, such as writing, pitch and negotiation, production, commercialization, distribution, and consumption.

The trip was open to all students on campus, not just those who actively participate in theater or music. Interested students were invited to submit an application consisting of general entertainment-based questions. Director of Theater and Dance Kaitlin Lawrence said this questionnaire helped her and Associate Head of School for Student Life Mervan Osborne get a sense of what students were passionate about, how they could benefit from going on the trip now vs. in the future, and what they hoped to gain from the experience. On the trip, students were also joined by Associate Director of Constituent Engagement Tia Rogers, who works closely with alumni in the Advancement Office.

Students selected for the trip met with 11 Dragon alumni who hold a variety of roles in the industry, including Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios Chief Operating Officer Keyes Hill-Edgar ’87, P’19, ’21, ’24, radio and television host Billy Bush ’90, Insurrection Media CEO Kiliaen Van Rensselaer ’88, and more.

“Basically, any part of the industry we wanted to find someone in, we were able to. We found a writer, directors; we got to tour the Paramount Studios lot, we got to go to Castle Studios … We met with line producers,” Lawrence said. “There’s just someone from SG who has done everything, and they’re just really excited to help our students.”

Marina Duff ’23, a member of the Snapdragons a cappella group who played several roles in SG’s fall production of “Radium Girls” and who starred in the musical “Mama Mia!” this spring, said the program is incredibly beneficial. “You get to see what people are doing big picture and on a day-to-day basis in their jobs,” she said. “Sometimes, when you’re thinking about careers, you have an idea of it, but it may not actually be the reality. With this experience, you got to see the reality.”

And being able to connect with SG alumni in the field made it even more relatable for the students, she added.

“I think it’s really nice having the shared experience of being at a boarding school, being at St. George’s. The alumni know what the experience is like and what our lives are like.”

Each alumnus the students met related their experiences at SG and their journey into their current jobs.

“I think that was really nice to see that arc, that timeline,” Marina said. “There’s such a difference between ‘what’s my job’ and ‘here’s what I did at St. George’s that helped me to get to this place.’”

Andrew Selian ’23, who also participates in theater at SG and is a member of the Hilltoppers a cappella group said, “We all know King Hall, we all know the MCR [Main Common Room], so there wasn’t this nervousness.”

There was a sense of nervousness for Andrew, however, when he met one SG alumna — Julie Bowen ’87, a successful actress from “Modern Family” and “Happy Gilmore.”

“I was kind of flipping out when I met her,” Andrew admitted. “I’ve watched every episode of ‘Modern Family’ and you’re standing right here and we’re about to take a picture!”

A highlight of the trip for Andrew was getting to do a table read of a “Modern Family” episode — and receiving coaching you could only get from a professional.

“[We got to hear] from a professional: OK, so this is how I need to selfanalyze and self-criticize to really do well and deliver these lines meaningfully and with passion and belief for the audience member,” he said.

While these tips are sure to help Andrew onstage, he said some of these acting tips are applicable to numerous other situations at school, like giving a chapel talk or giving a presentation in class, and are lessons he can take with him beyond SG.

For this reason, Andrew believes anyone at SG should want to go on this trip — whether they’re interested in the entertainment industry long-term or not.

“Even if you are a varsity athlete and you do this club and this club, pursue this. It might be something you’re never going to do again, but it’s an experience you will hold for a lifetime and you might meet some really cool people,” he said. “I know I did.”

Lawrence mentioned some of the other key takeaways and memories students had from the trip: the importance of technology and how much is done through it, how many different job types and roles there are to create just one movie, and the importance of networking. And of course — the hike to the Hollywood sign.

This year, the second annual Dragons in Hollywood trip will take place April 9–14 and is sure to deliver many more memories that will last a lifetime.

“The biggest takeaway for me from that trip was just how diverse and expansive the SG community really is outside of the Hilltop,” Andrew said.

“I never thought that I would ever do anything like Dragons in Hollywood,” Marina said. “It’s such a unique opportunity.” 