BATON ROUGE - One talented Southern University student with an interest in the entertainment industry has been offered the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the heart of the entertainment industry by means of an internship in Los Angeles, California's Hollywood.

The university released a Friday (March 5) morning statement, naming Chaselynn Grant as the honored recipient of the opportunity.

The release explained that Grant was first recognized as an outstanding talent in 2019 when NuContext Founder & Executive Producer Angela Guice traveled to Southern University to film a new music video for pop sensation, Lizzo. 

It was Lizzo’s vision to celebrate Historically Black Colleges and Universities marching band culture and the joy of homecoming. Bringing this vision to life at Southern University, the first state-funded institution for Black people in Louisiana, and home of the incomparable Human Jukebox and Fabulous Dancing Dolls was a no-brainer.

“I immediately felt at home at Southern University,” says Guice. “Throughout filming, we had the pleasure to spend time with the incredible students. Many were eager to learn and inspired with the production process. One of those students was Chaselynn Grant, who we are proud to welcome as our first recipient of our NuContext HBCU to Hollywood program. We are thrilled to have Chaselynn join us in Hollywood this summer."

 The new internship includes a $5,000 scholarship to cover travel, living expenses, and continuing education for a six to eight week internship opportunity in Hollywood with NuContext. 

 “We want to make sure that all qualified students have the ability to get real world experience, mentorship and make connections for future careers in the entertainment business,” adds Guice.

Grant expressed appreciation for the opportunity, saying, "I am humbled to be selected as NuContext’s first Intern. I look forward to working with the staff and learning new things about the film industry.”

Grant goes on to say that she plans to put everything she learns during her internship into practice.

 “I plan to move to California after I graduate from Southern University," Grant says. "I view this internship as the first steppingstone into learning more about my future career. I want to thank Mrs. Guice for selecting me for this internship and always giving back to HBCU students. I hope that this internship inspires not only HBCU students, but also young women that if you continue, there is never a limit to what you can do. No matter what you do, someone is always watching and supporting you.”

 Born and raised in South Mississippi, Guice understands how important it is to provide such“foot-in-the-door” opportunities to those from underrepresented cultures and communities.

She said, “Creating a diverse and inclusive work force in the entertainment industry is top of mind for everyone in our business, and when you start asking yourself how you can impact meaningful change? The answer is to start with one person. All it takes is someone to say ‘Yes.’ And that can change someone’s entire career path and future. I’m proud to have seen this happen for so many young people, including myself, and we are thrilled to partner with Southern University Baton Rouge to help provide these opportunities for their students. But this is just the beginning."

“There are so many under-represented students out there with big dreams,” concludes Guice. “My hope for this initiative is to get other production companies and studios involved with sponsoring students from across the country. Through these partnerships, we can create lasting and life-changing opportunities for young people, and for our industry.”

Emmy Award-winning NuContext is an award-winning entertainment production company and more information on the organization can be found here: www.nucontext.com.