Pictured above: The UCSB-Tuskegee summer screenwriting group poses on the Disney lot during a July 7, 2026, visit focused on television development and entertainment careers. Photo by Wendy Eley Jackson.
Behind-the-scenes conversations with Disney television executives gave summer screenwriting students a closer look at development, internships and the many routes into the industry.
For UC Santa Barbara student Tasia Gill, walking onto the Disney lot turned an ambition that had sometimes felt distant into something tangible.
“It was like stepping into the heartbeat of the industry,” said Gill, a senior in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Communication. Gill was among students in the summer UCSB-Tuskegee screenwriting collaboration who visited Disney on July 7 for a behind-the-scenes look at television development and career pathways in entertainment.
Students met with three Disney executives: Edward Mejia, vice president of development and current series for TV Animation; Jessica Hanlon, executive director of current series and original programming for Disney Junior; and Rafael Garcia, vice president of live-action original series development for Disney Channel.
For Tuskegee University student Sasha Brown, one of the most memorable parts of the visit was being in conversation with people whose work had shaped the television she grew up watching. She also recalled an informal lunchtime conversation with a Disney employee working in studio lighting, who encouraged students to keep pursuing programs, putting themselves in new environments and remaining open to unexpected opportunities.
The executives' varied career paths also stood out to Gill. She particularly connected with Hanlon's experience returning to the industry after time away raising her children. Gill, herself a mother who returned to school, said the story offered perspective on building a creative career while navigating other responsibilities.
The conversations also gave students practical information about internships and other entry points into Disney, as well as the ways employees can advance internally after joining the company in a range of roles. For Gill, that made a professional path she had once viewed as difficult to access feel more concrete.
“It feels extremely attainable to have the opportunity to work at Disney,” Gill said.
The visit extended the third year of the UCSB-Tuskegee screenwriting collaboration beyond the classroom. Launched in 2024, the partnership brings students from both universities together around storytelling, screenwriting and professional development.
Wendy Eley Jackson, a continuing lecturer in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Film and Media Studies who led the summer program, organized the Disney experience to give students direct access to professionals working across television development.
“Experiences like this one are exactly why this program matters: our students didn’t just tour a studio, they saw themselves in rooms where decisions are made, and they left with real relationships to build on,” Eley Jackson said.
For Brown, the summer also marked her first visit to the West Coast. She valued experiencing the program alongside UC Santa Barbara students while bringing the perspective of Tuskegee's campus and community to Santa Barbara.
Gill called the summer experience one of the most formative parts of her UC Santa Barbara education and said the Disney visit may shape what comes next. She is seriously considering applying for a Disney internship and valued leaving with professional contacts she can continue building relationships with.
For Brown, the larger value extends beyond a single studio visit. “The partnership between Mother Tuskegee and UC Santa Barbara was truly one for the books,” she said, “and I hope the program keeps thriving.”
Learn more about the UCSB-Tuskegee screenwriting collaboration.