Plenty of college students spend time—more than most would likely admit—on BuzzFeed, an online news and pop culture hub. But how many are able to intern with the global media giant? Daysha Edewi ’14 made such a transition, and has used her passion and skill for video to launch a post-graduation life in bustling L.A. with one of the biggest companies in online media today.
Media Studies—more specifically, film—wasn’t initially Edewi’s main academic interest. But after taking Core II with Associate Professor of Art Adam Davis, Edewi switched up her dual psychology and anthropology major. “It was both Professor Davis’ passion for the subject as well as the structure of the course that inspired me to swap anthro for media studies,” says Edewi.
Within media studies she pursued the film track and completed her major with her honors thesis documentary “MY SCHIZOPHRENIC EXISTENCE: Examining Blackness in Academic and Personal Spaces.”
Now working in BuzzFeed’s video department based in Los Angeles, it was several weeks after graduation before Edewi determined what direction her career path would lead. Although she applied to the Internet pop culture outlet months before graduation, Edewi didn’t receive a response until nearly two months post Scripps. And according to Edewi, landing the coveted internship was well worth the wait.
The work environment within the video department reflects the popular website, with a strong “work hard, play hard” mentality amongst employees. “BuzzFeed is magical. It’s the workplace culture everyone dreams of having, but never think could actually exist.”
Though BuzzFeed is better known for its GIF-filled listicles (articles in the form of lists), Edewi’s recent promotion to Video Fellow allows her to develop unique content that’s more in line with the work she did while at Scripps. “I don’t want to give anything away, but some topics I would like to cover during my fellowship is body image/body positivity, hip-hop, and health/nutrition,” she reveals. And with BuzzFeed Video’s recent transformation into BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, the company may be poised to take on deeper topics.
For anyone hoping to work at BuzzFeed, Edewi says the video department in particular is experiencing rapid growth. The challenge is securing an interview. “If you can get there,” says Edewi, “you’ve got a pretty decent chance of getting in.”
Does Edewi have any other advice to offer Scripps students interested in joining the entertainment industry?
“Embrace your struggle, and own it,” she says. “Everyone struggles, whether they admit it or not, but not many people know how to learn from it. Know your worth, and do what scares you the most. That’s the best way you can see how much you’ve grown.”