Student Ambassadors

(from left) Jazzy, Lamia, Jackie, DeDe, Katie and Itzel

The Justin DeSorrento Opportunity for Excellence Award honors the memory of Justin DeSorrento by identifying motivated students who are interested in entering the cable industry. This year, The Cable Center honored the DeSorrento grant by providing travel stipends to six students from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to serve as Student Ambassadors at our Cable Mavericks Masters Forum.

We met this group of exceptional individuals after they attended a 2009 Cable Mavericks Lecture at the Alexandria campus with Brian Lamb, C-SPAN co-founder and CEO. We could not have done the Forum without their willingness and wonderful smiling faces! Our Ambassadors could not have been more prepared, thanks to the invaluable leadership and preparation they received from Professors Lucy Holsonbake and Meredith Aquila.

Itzel Almazan

Itzel Almazan

The experience for me was an eye-opener. I knew what networking was but, I never had a clear picture of the huge impact it could have until now. The Masters Forum has helped me to have more confidence in the way I communicate with others, and it helped me grow professionally by allowing me to interact with professionals in the cable industry.

Itzel is an avid member of the Student Government Association, where she helps with toy drives and other events such as Act of Kindness week. She is also Vice President of the Spanish-American Latin Student Association and has created numerous events to promote diversity and intercultural understanding. In the future, she plans to obtain a general associates science degree at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) then transfer to George Mason University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in criminology.

Lamia Alnashif

Lamia Alnashif

Attending the event gave me the opportunity to have a glimpse into how today’s world of entertainment and television operates. Through hearing stories and advice from pioneers and new faces of the industry, I have a better understanding of the industry and received guidance in my quest for success in the TV business. The Forum gave me the chance to meet successful business people and talk with them about what the industry is all about.

Lamia is a member of the NOVA Honors Program and is also an International Club Public Relations officer. She has traveled to over 60 countries as a senior flight attendant for the Royal Jordanian Airline. In addition to English, she is also fluent in Arabic and Russian. She also volunteers with Adopt a Block and Phi Theta Kappa.

Bereni Dede

Bereni ‘DeDe’ Dede

The information I received was current, relevant and empowering. The speakers were both inspiring and informative. This experience was a perfect form of motivation. It bridged the theoretical  concepts of the classroom and the practical  applications of the industry. 

DeDe has spent the past 10 years gaining valuable marketing and sales experience. He has served as the director of marketing for World Academic Sports Team, an educational non-profit that seeks to harness the energy athletes display on the field and transfer it to the classroom. Here, he discovered his true passion to serve underprivileged children in urban America. In the future, he plans to transfer to a four-year institution to pursuit a double major in communication and conflict resolution.

Jackie Jones

Jackie Jones

One part of this experience that really made an impression on me was when we walked into the Paley Center Friday morning, and we all stepped in and went to work helping right away. We were a team from the start, which is very impressive, since this trip was the first time most of us had met.  This would not have been possible without the hard work of Professor Holsenbake and Professor Aquila.

Jackie has worked in the communications industry for over 25 years in a variety of capacities, including supervisor, sales trainer, and customer service representative. A motivational and effective leader, she is proud to have successfully coached and cultivated her retention team to excel in sales and customer service in accord with Comcast’s “Think Customer First” initiative.

Jazzy Ramirez

Jazzy Ramirez

It was truly an eye-opening experience, being able to meet such great professionals, about what they do and how they are passionate about it. I am extremely proud of the accomplished work our team of ambassadors had with The Cable Center. I learned that there are careers out there that I didn’t even know of, and benefited from it all in such a tremendous way.  I was able to connect with people that I could only dream of meeting one day.

Jazzy was born in the US but has also lived in Argentina, Israel, Jordan, Italy, Egypt, Turkey and Greece. She soon hopes to begin a career in marketing and has been a loyal employee of Victoria’s Secret for four years. At VS, she has improved her communication and customer support skills to the extent that she is now training others to deal with a diverse clientele in a fast-paced environment.

Katie Uze

Katie Uze

Its amazing to be in the presence of such talented people and be gifted with their insight. We were able to gain advice and firsthand knowledge about one of the most exciting industries in today’s technology-centered world from top executives that span every arena of the cable industry. We gained valuable experience running a high-profile event. It was very refreshing how gracious they were with their time and insight when we took the initiative to approach them. I am excited to see what exciting opportunities will develop from this experience, and am honored to have been a part of it.

As Miss Virginia 2010, Katie traveled across Virginia, making 220 public appearances and representing Virginia in the 2011 Miss America pageant, where she finished as a top 10 finalist. Executing the largest school tour in the history of the Miss Virginia organization, she spoke in over 60 schools across Virginia, reaching over 40,000 students. Caitlin hopes to transition into the University of Virginia’s Interdisciplinary Studies program.