Students had the opportunity to see their friends on the big screen during a red carpet world premiere of Catholic University’s episode of “The College Tour,” a TV series available on Amazon Prime. The event was held at Heritage Hall on Nov. 17, 2022.
Free popcorn, candy, and red carpet photo opportunities was available. The premiere was free and open to the public.
The University is the first school in Washington, D.C., to be on “The College Tour.” Each episode tells the story of a different college or university through the eyes of students. The show was filmed on campus in September.
Award-winning TV producer and host Alex Boylan created the series to make campuses more accessible to prospective students who may be unable to travel.
“Oftentimes it’s cost-prohibitive for people to travel all over the country to look at schools,” said Maria Sousa, B.A. 2003, University director of marketing and a producer of the episode. “I really do think that it’s a great way to show the beauty of our campus and the diversity of our students. These students are telling their own personal stories of why they came to Catholic University.”
The cast features 10 current students and alumni who share how their life and career goals have been shaped by the opportunities they have found on campus: alumna Claire Regan, B.S. 2022; seniors Darby Drake, Tess Franscioni, Matt Gardiner, Javier Mazariegos, and Maddy Mustin; juniors Jamie Besendorfer and Samuel Nwuha; and freshmen Nathan Ford and Maysoon Obeid.
Each is the star of their own segment in the episode, leading a tour of campus while sharing why they initially chose the University and what they have loved about their experience here. From contributing to cutting-edge research to interning in U.S. Congress, the students offer their unique perspectives about how they have flourished at the University.
Members of the University Marketing and Media Studies departments were involved in the production of the episode in different capacities, including scriptwriting, editing, and providing supplemental footage.
Boylan also filmed short conversations with Dr. Peter Kilpatrick and Mark Ciolli, dean of Undergraduate Admission, to discuss advantages of the University and admission details. These bonus conversations are not included in the episode but are available on the University website.
