Tappan Zee High School hosted the second installment of their new Career Speaker Series yesterday afternoon! Professionals from the field of entertainment spoke with students and shared their unique career pathways and gave advice on entering the field.
“The speakers did a great job yesterday at drawing from their diverse experiences in the field. I am hopeful that students heard the important messages about the power of creating a personal network, being resilient when dealing with rejection, and committing all of their energy to their art,” said TZHS Principal Rudy Arietta.
Panelists described their jobs, the skills and qualifications required, what they enjoy about their career and some of the challenges that students should be aware of when entering the field. Speakers focused on the importance of gaining hands-on work experience in the field, how to maintain contacts and relationships with people in the industry and the motivation and hard work that is required to be successful. Panelists included:
- Paul Borghese- A TZHS graduate who has appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows and has produced and directed dozens of movies, TV pilots, short films and music videos. He has appeared in movies and TV shows such as HBO’s “61*,” “The Irishman,” “The Family,” “Law & Order:SVU” and “The Sopranos.”
- John de Leon- Works for Macy’s and is part of the team responsible for producing the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual 4th of July Fireworks.
- Paul Koronkiewicz- He is a sound Boom operator who has worked in the film and television industry for over 30 years.
- Ed Lucuara- A freelance music producer and engineer with 15 years of experience in the field.
- Peter Scheck- A set dresser who works on film and television. He is currently working on a series for Marvel.
- Wade Tyree- He has worked in the camera and electric department on dozens of movies and TV shows during his career in the entertainment business. He is now an IATSE union representative and works with crews and union members to resolve and avoid safety issues on sets.
Next month, TZHS will host a panel discussion focused on the field of computer science. “Our goal for the spring was to put this pilot into place and get the idea off the ground. We will use what we learn to implement a 10-part series next year with a different field featured each month. The response from the community has been tremendous and we would not be able to do this with our volunteers,” said Arietta.
