Expanding our AT&T Veterans Media Fellowship Program

At AT&T, we believe in embracing freedom and standing for equality. Those values are core to who we are and the society that we want to help build. 

That’s why for nearly 100 years, AT&T has been dedicated to supporting military personnel, veterans and their families. Our nation’s servicemen and women make endless sacrifices to protect our country and our freedoms.

Veterans bring exceptional skills from their military service to building an inclusive environment— respect, integrity, leadership, courage and a belief in serving others.

All of these skills were on display with the 2020 launch of the AT&T Veterans Media Fellowship, a program designed to connect 20 veterans in the Los Angeles-area with a 13-week program that honed their skills in the media industry, across everything from production to operations.

Having been selected from over 800 applications for the Fellowship, the 20 talented men and women who participated in the program demonstrated an unwavering commitment to learning the ins and outs of the industry, creating compelling content and lasting friendships. When the pandemic hit and prevented in-person education, they overcame by connecting virtually and using online tools to collaborate and create.  

“The 2020 AT&T Veterans Media Fellowship has opened so many doors for me. It has impacted my life beyond measure,” said Cathy Torres, a 2020 Veterans Media Fellowship graduate. “I have met with industry leaders. I have gained mentors. I have a lot of people rooting for me to make it in this industry, and this fellowship brought me one step closer to really achieving my goals.”

Conducting the Fellowship virtually was successful and we’re taking the program nationwide and doubling the class size to 40 veterans. The 13-week program will continue to provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the media industry landscape, critical business functions, and a project-based curriculum designed to provide real life, job-ready skills.

“The inaugural AT&T Veterans Media Fellowship showed the true commitment and dedication of our country’s veterans,” said Charlene Lake, SVP, corporate social responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer, AT&T. “It also illustrated the power of broadband connectivity and its ability to keep people learning despite their distance from one another.”

The 40 veterans selected for our 2021 class will receive mentorship from AT&T and WarnerMedia throughout the program and will benefit from weekly sessions that connect participants with professional skills, expand their understanding of the industry and provide coaching and support. Sessions will be curated by Veterans in Media & Entertainment, a nonprofit networking organization that unites current and former members of the military working in the film and television industry.

Fellows will also collaborate in virtual settings to design and create short-form content, building on lessons learned from connecting online in 2020.

For more information on the Fellowship, including how to apply, please visit https://vmeconnect.org/

Applications will be accepted until December 11, 2020.