Film and animation student earns Television Academy Foundation internship
Film and Animation senior and St. Paul, Minn., native Jaime (Kevin) Morales-Hernandez has been selected to intern at the Television Academy Foundation in Los Angeles, Calif. The Highland Park Senior High School graduate is one of 38 students chosen to enter the eight-week program in the 3D animation category, helping oversee producers in the animation studio.
Kevin was thrilled to be accepted after applying for the internship during his sophomore year of college and not getting chosen. “I was in shock when they called me. I was speechless and didn’t know how to react,” he said. After taking 19 credits this spring semester, his hard work is starting to pay off.
“Kevin is amazing. He is kind, has excellent creative problem-solving skills, plays well with others, and welcomes feedback. I am so happy for him,” said Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson, MSUM’s Interim Dean for the College of Arts & Humanities. “He consistently takes advantage of all the opportunities and challenges that have come his way.”
The Television Academy Foundation Internship, which partners with the Emmys, is highly competitive and is limited to full-time bachelor or graduate degree-seeking students. Applicants go through a rigorous interview process before being selected for the internship.
“You can’t find a better film program in the Midwest than MSUM’s. The faculty have done so much for me. In many of our classes, you have to collaborate with different people,” he said. “MSUM taught me you can’t close yourself up. You need to talk to everybody and network if you want to succeed, and MSUM is a great place for me to do that.”
Kevin is a part of the 40 percent of first-generation college students at MSUM. His parents, Jaime Morales-Armenta and Ma Elizabeth Hernandez-Soria, are immigrants from Mexico and always supported his decision to go to college. His discovery of film and animation started when he was given an iPad in grade school, and he started filming everything, including his younger brothers as actors. Kevin has been captivated by film ever since.