Have you ever had a dream, but you just weren’t quite sure how you were going to achieve it? You wanted to do something so bad, but you sometimes start to get discouraged because you have no idea where to start, or how and if it would even work? If so, you’re not alone.
My name is Madelyn Middleton and I am in 10th grade at Saint Martin de Porres High School. I’ve always wanted to do something big with my life, ever since I could remember.
Although I still don’t completely know yet what exactly I want to do, I know it will have something to do with writing. I want to write books, and some day turn them into films, and even be a star in my own writing. That is a dream of mine that the Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) is helping me accomplish.
If you’re wondering how I was blessed with this opportunity to work with the GCFC, it’s because at my school we have a Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) that allows us to go work one day out of each week on our assigned day.
I worked at the Cleveland City Hall my first year of high school. I loved the people there, but truthfully it didn’t support me in who I wanted to be. That’s why I am super excited to work here.
When my sophomore year first started, I worked at a school called George Washington Carver. I liked my job there, but still there was a disconnect. Right before Christmas break the CWSP people asked me if I wanted to change my job. I was super surprised, because it’s rare for people to change their jobs in the middle of the year. They told me the new job that I was being presented with, and while I had never heard of the GCFC, when they started to explain all the things I would get to do, I just had to take the opportunity.
This is only my first day on the job, but I am looking forward to coming to work every Friday and learning something new. I want to experience it all; the days where I go scouting and get to look around at locations, meeting industry people, exploring my city a little deeper and so much more.
As I know that my days won’t always consist on getting out, I am still looking forward to those days where I can really just do some hard work getting to understand the process behind how these great films are brought to life. To me this isn’t a draining job, where I feel like “Ugh, I have to go to work”; it’s more of “Yay, let me get up and get ready to learn more about my future!”
I am so excited and happy to be on board with the GCFC.
One of the core pillars of GCFC’s mission is workforce development. We work with local educators to help students who have a desire to enter a career in media production gain exposure to the industry. Throughout the year, several opportunities are available to students interested in the media production industry to come work with us and learn not only about the industry, but also about non-profit organizations and day-to-day office life. We also host students for limited time shadowing and senior projects, which can last anywhere from one day to one week.