UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While many seniors graduated in May, one Penn State student, who initially intended to walk across the stage in May as well, decided to adjust her schedule and push her graduation until August to take advantage of an opportunity.
“What I thought initially was a little hiccup in my life just so I could do this internship turned out to be really well worth it because now this is happening,” said Brittney Lee. “Who knew?”
Lee, a native of Brooklyn, New York, has been selected as the student marshal for the College of Communications during summer commencement ceremonies on Aug. 13. The reason she waited to graduate? She had the opportunity to get credit as a technical operations intern this summer with CNBC in New Jersey.
A telecommunications major, Lee was highly involved during her time on campus. Since she was a freshman, she participated in PSNtv, a student-run television network on campus. In her four years there, she served as an executive producer, a writer and a host, and spent a lot of time working on a weekly show titled “Crazy Talk.”
In addition, Lee twice participated in “Centre County Report,” an award-winning newscast produced by communications students. She expanded her knowledge there, getting experience as an executive producer, director, technical director and reporter.
She also was a photo and video intern for the College of Engineering and was a technical director and field producer for a webcast of the School of Theatre’s performance of Julius Caesar during the spring 2015 semester.
“I thought those were going to be the reasons I fell in love with Penn State, you know, going to football games, THON and just all of the things you immediately associate with Penn State," she said. "But, it turns out that I really fell in love with the school kind of because it helped me find what I wanted to do in life and what I loved.
"I met such amazing people and being in organizations like PSNtv and being in CCR, those opportunities are what made me love Penn State.”
Lee also spent two years as a teaching coordinator for an environmental science class and was an intern with World in Conversation at Penn State.
Moving forward, the summer internship has led Lee to a technical associate freelance position with CNBC at its set on the New York Stock Exchange floor. Down the road, she has bigger plans.
“The ultimate goal at some point in life is to direct live TV. I want to be a director," Lee said. "That’s the big dream.”