As the golden eagle flies, the distance between MU and LA is growing smaller every day. The university’s strong West Coast connections are thanks in part to a network of committed alumni who form active local affinity groups like MECA — the Marquette Entertainment and Communications Alumni initiative.
When Joel Andryc graduated in 1979, he left for Los Angeles without having any professional contacts in the city and ended up meeting 1957 alum Jerry Jaskulski. “In those days, Jerry served as the godfather and mentor for anyone from Marquette who came to the LA area,” Joel recalls.
“It was great to have that connection to help open doors, and I wanted to pay that forward.”
Flash ahead a few decades, and the number of Marquette grads heading to the West Coast was rapidly increasing. After hearing a presentation on what became the renowned Marquette Mentors program, Joel and 1980 graduate, actor and comedian Rondell Sheridan, volunteered to lead an on-the-ground mentoring effort in Hollywood for the Diederich College of Communication.
Interest often started with requests from Marquette professors who had students considering the move to LA. Longtime E! News producer Rebekah Ingraham, Comm ’03, heard about the group through Joel. Like him, her early days in LA involved crashing on the couch of a fellow alum. “It’s definitely the Marquette spirit to let a stranger come into your home just to help them,” she jokes.
Getting the MECA treatment
Jenna Santoianni, Comm ’06 and now head of television at MRC, also brainstormed with Joel to formalize the MECA initiative. Today, she is one of those who host the program’s first-night dinners for participants. “We started out at restaurants and now I invite everyone to my house. We want to hear from students — what they are interested in, what experiences we want them to have while they’re in town,” she explains.
Jenna and the MECA team also ensure that students hear stories from alumni about their own West Coast experiences. “Many students don’t know how to break into the industry,” she adds, “and we want to help.”
While MECA focuses on the entertainment and communications fields, its members cover a variety of careers and career stages and are more than willing to share regional insights and industry publications to help fellow Marquette students and young alumni get the inside track for interviews and opportunities, even tips on how to relocate cross-country.
During Marquette’s unique Diederich Experience networking trips, for example, alums from MECA make themselves available to connect with current communication students. “Everyone is always there for each other. No one says no to the opportunity to help a fellow Marquette student,” Joel says.
Rebekah has invited Diederich students to tour E! News and has stayed in touch with several, including one fellow alum who is now working in LA. “It’s the greatest gift to be part of their story,” she says. “I ended up out here because people were there for me. The only way to be grateful for that is to pay it forward.”
Marquette loyal
The connections that MECA is building also fuel Marquette loyalty and energy. “MECA is cross-generational,” says John Lockhart, Jour ’81, who helps plan the group’s programming and maintain its social media presence. “It’s fun to see such a mix in the room. We’re doing everything from engaging students and young alumni to strengthening relationships with older alumni.”
Rebekah Ingraham agrees. “I love the events and basketball watching parties,” she says. “When I was a student, I hadn’t realized what a unity we had out here.”
MECA Happy Hours allow people to get together at local restaurants, familiarizing newcomers with the city and with their fellow Marquette contacts. “Every time you talk to someone at one of these events, you get introduced to even more people,” Rebekah says. “It’s great networking for students and for alumni looking to pivot into a different role or field.”
Jenna talks about her own personal story — a career path that began in part because of her Marquette scholarship. “I was so grateful to be a scholarship recipient and wanted to thank someone in that family. I emailed blindly, and my contact happened to be an exec at Paramount, where I was interning at the time. That contact turned out to be Brian Wensel, a 1980 alum. Brian showed me so much hospitality, mentorship and stewardship,” she says.
“I want to do the same for students. It ties back to cura personalis. There is a fidelity out here that is unique to Marquette.”
Having grown up on the West Coast and traveled to Marquette for college, Jenna is in the opposite position of many of her fellow graduates, and she’s happy to share her local expertise. One of her favorite examples is working with a student who earned an in-person LA interview while still attending classes in Milwaukee. The student called Jenna for advice, and Jenna encouraged her to fly out, picked her up at the airport at 2 a.m., and helped her buy an outfit for an impromptu follow-up with a high-profile showrunner. The student landed a PA position on a hit TV show, and the studio was even willing to hold the job for her until she officially graduated.
“There is a network of people out here who want to see you win. Never forget that,” Rebekah says. “We have such great momentum here on the West Coast.”
The MECA group continues to cultivate young alums who can help the newest graduates in turn.
“If students are looking for guidance and mentorship on their professional path, come to a MECA event,” says John Lockhart.
Those who do will encounter the warm spirit of their extended Marquette family.
Learn more about MECA and the West Coast alumni mentors.
Connect with the MECA community on Facebook.