Passing the Baton: Marisa Lamas Takes the Spotlight in the CCI Internship Diaries

Photo courtesy of Marisa Lamas. This is her headshot she uses for everything!

We’re handing the mic over to the next star of our CCI Internship Diaries: Our very own Marisa Lamas ‘27! Before we dive into her story,  just a quick refresher on what this newest CCI series is about. We want to highlight students who are taking what they’ve learned in their Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) classes and applying it in real-world internships.

Marisa, a California native, has always been a creative soul. That passion brought her to Chapman University, where she’s majoring in public relations, advertising, and entertainment marketing. When choosing a minor, a professor’s advice stuck with her early on: “Pick something that excites you and fuels your creativity.” After exploring her options, she discovered CCI. The classes immediately caught her attention because they cover so many different areas of the creative industries, and the flexibility to explore multiple fields within one minor really appealed to her. As someone naturally creative, she wanted a program that felt both inspiring and enjoyable, and it has absolutely delivered on that. 

Little did Marisa know that her CCI classes and internships she would choose to pursue would align so seamlessly. In Professor Dr. Kelli Fuery’s course, CCI 444: Media, Culture, and Emotion, she gained a deeper understanding of herself and how people connect with emotion through media. Marisa described the class as thoughtful, engaging, and truly beautiful. One key concept she explored through this course was affect, which completely transformed how she views the world around her (we’ll dive deeper into this concept later). This fresh perspective on human emotion has even shaped how she approaches her internships. For her, CCI 444 was nothing short of transformative.

Photo courtesy of Marisa Lamas. This were the final minutes in the building at her internship! This is Marisa with her friend Amylaine Merena (Chapman ‘25). They started together and ended together :)

To date, Marisa has completed two successful internships, and her second has become a defining moment in her professional journey. We’ll take a closer look at that experience, as she was recently promoted to a more advanced role within the company. Her path began in the summer of 2024 with an internship at the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), where she served as a social media and short programming intern. During her time at NBFF, she formed meaningful professional relationships that eventually helped her land her next opportunity with World of Dance (WOD), a company that perfectly aligns with her passions and creative goals.

With a strong background in dance, a natural sense of creativity, and the knowledge she’s gained through her CCI coursework, Marisa knew that WOD would be an ideal fit. She joined the team in the spring of 2025 as one of just two interns, immediately diving into behind-the-scenes work that included everything from event coordination to brand development. She collaborated across departments, took on a variety of responsibilities, and gained a deep understanding of how different parts of the organization work together. The close-knit team at WOD created an environment where she could thrive, and through her contributions, she quickly earned the trust and respect of both her colleagues and upper management.

As her CCI 490 Independent Internship was coming to a close, Marisa proposed an idea to management: create a public relations team within the company. At the time, no such department existed, but leadership saw potential in her vision. They not only embraced the idea but also asked her to stay on as WOD’s first public relations intern. In this new role, Marisa is helping build the department from the ground up and gaining firsthand experience in how her ideas and efforts can directly shape a company's future.

With that said, let’s dive in and kick off this interview!

Q: Tell me about your internship journey. How did you get started, and what has your experience been like so far?

ML: When I officially joined the World of Dance team, I started as the Marketing and Live Events Intern. My main focus was organizing behind-the-scenes logistics, such as managing contact information for dance teams touring in cities like the Bay Area, Orlando, Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas. This role gave me an amazing opportunity to connect with dancers and industry professionals from all over the country and to get a real sense of how a major touring production runs. One of the highlights of my internship was joining the media team for World of Dance Los Angeles (WOD LA). I helped produce videos, and contribute to social media coverage alongside the dancers. Throughout the internship, I moved between marketing and media depending on where the team needed support, which kept things fresh and exciting. When the spring internship wrapped up, they invited me to come back for the summer, and now I’m back with the team, this time as a PR intern. It’s definitely a step up, with more responsibility and creative freedom, and I’m loving every minute of it. 

Photo courtesy of Marisa Lamas. At the Awards! A bunch of competitors were on stage, dancing and building excitement before things kicked off. At this point, Marisa was working as a PA for the livestream up in the balcony.

Q: Earlier, you mentioned learning about affect in one of your CCI classes. How do you see that concept showing up in your internship?ML: Yeah! I first learned about this concept in CCI 444 with Professor Kelly, it’s all about emotional impact, that moment when you feel something before you can even explain why. At WOD LA, I got to experience that in real time. I was working during the junior team performances, but I had the chance to watch several adult team routines too. I remember getting chills, completely overwhelmed by how powerful the dancing was. It wasn’t just about technique; it was the raw emotion, the energy in the room, the way it pulled you in. I used to dance for years, then stepped away from it for a while. Being back in that environment and feeling all of that again… it hit me hard. That moment was when I realized: this is what affect really means.

Q: That’s so interesting! Now switching gears back to internships, now that you're a PR intern, what does your work look like, and how does it tie into your major and CCI experience?

ML: As a PR intern, I work on communication strategies, everything from writing press releases and managing media lists to pitching stories to outlets. It’s definitely an outward-facing role, which has pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. It ties directly into my PR and advertising major, but I’ve also found that my CCI minor has shaped how I approach the work. The creative thinking, cultural awareness, and emotional intelligence I’ve developed through CCI courses have been essential, especially when it comes to understanding audiences and crafting messages that actually resonate.

Q: That’s amazing to hear! How does that relate to what you're working on now?

ML: Lately, I’ve been working on a new project that involves collaborating with music producers to create custom tracks specifically tailored for our dancers. On top of that, I’m coordinating with teams in about 50 countries where WOD has a presence, acting as the main point of contact between the U.S. and our international partners. It’s a unique blend of project management, global communication, and creative strategy.

What’s been especially fascinating is seeing how each country connects with its audience, and how that differs from how we do things in the U.S. My job is to help bridge those gaps, making sure we're all on the same page while still honoring cultural differences. I’ve also been analyzing how different audiences engage with our content and with each other, then using those insights to inform our PR and content strategies. That ties directly back to what we’ve studied in CCI, understanding audience behavior and adapting your messaging to meet them where they are.

Q: We’re almost at the end! To wrap things up, what would you say to someone who’s thinking about adding the CCI minor?

ML: Absolutely go for it! The CCI minor is an incredible experience; you’re constantly learning and growing. The classes are engaging and fun, and the professors are not only knowledgeable but also really supportive. What I love most is the variety; there’s something for everyone, no matter your creative interests. Even if you think you’ve explored all aspects of creativity, this minor will open your eyes to new perspectives and industries you might not have considered. It truly highlights just how diverse and exciting the creative and cultural industries can be.

Photo courtesy of Marisa Lamas. On the WODLA stage, getting ready for the show to start. She was walking through the audience and was filming content of people getting hyped up!

Take note, CCI minors, Marisa is living proof that initiative, passion, and a little self-belief can take you far. She’s one of many CCI students out there thriving in their internships, and her journey shows just how powerful it is when you chase opportunities and trust your voice. From Marisa’s perspective, it’s clear: when you work hard and lean into your strengths, you can make an impact. 

A huge thank you to Marisa for taking the time to sit down with us and share her experiences with internships and CCI. We’re wishing you nothing but continued success.

And if you’re a CCI minor with an internship story of your own, don’t be shy; we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to erosas@chapman.edu