Learning a new skill can be scary, especially if you feel like you’re “late” to the game. For Linda Kuku, learning the ins and outs of video production felt like a natural extension of her passion for storytelling — one that’s evolved into a leadership role within the new Production House in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications’ Experience Lab.
“Coming to the College of Journalism a little later in my college career, I really wanted to focus on my technical skills,” said Kuku, a senior broadcasting major. “I felt behind, even though I wasn’t really behind.”
Now a co-lead for the Production House, she quickly found her groove when she decided to take up videography and join the student-led agency. A willingness to learn and ask questions of Production House teammates helped Kuku grow her skillset.
“Even if I made a mistake, I had people that I could talk to about what’s going on, find a solution and keep moving,” said Kuku, adding that the Production House’s focus on the technical aspects of videography have helped supplement her journalism coursework. “Now, I have this huge passion for videography I didn’t even realize I had before.”
As co-lead, Kuku is gaining valuable experience dealing with real-world clients one-on-one and guiding her team through various projects.
“It’s taught me a lot about the importance of organization,” she said. “Working with clients has been a great experience, and seeing the students take initiative to get these projects done has been really impressive.”
Looking ahead to the fall, she is excited about the upcoming projects for the fall semester, including partnerships with campus organizations and new clients.
“We have a few clients already and some continuing from this semester. I’m just excited to see these relationships continue and see how we can continually improve on the work we do.”
As a leader, Kuku wants to continue to offer a safe place for students of all experience levels.
“We just want students to learn in a place where they’re not going to be judged," she said. "You can just come and do you, and we’re here to support you.”
