Alumni of the Week: Jill Irvin '09

Did you know...that some of today's most popular shows, such as "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "The Today Show," and "So You Think You Can Dance" have DePauw students and alumni involved in their productions?

Did you also know that D3TV can help YOU be one of those Tigers involved?

For Jill Irvin '09, D3TV and her experiences in DePauw's campus media helped her earn an internship with "The Today Show" and eventually positions working with Ellen DeGeneres and the stars of "So You Think You Can Dance." Jill got her start in television by taking a broadcasting course in high school, which encouraged her to get involved with the "Training Show" at D3TV and hosting a radio show on WGRE upon enrolling at DePauw. Campus media played a large role in Jill's life at DePauw, and she was involved in D3TV and WGRE all four years she was on campus. Jill's media involvement ranged from hosting a radio show at 3 am to producing "The View at DePauw" and co-hosting WGRE's "Breakfast with the Babes" with last week's alumni spotlight Rachel Pfennig '09 (who you can learn more about here!) Jill also got involved with the Board of Directors during her first year on campus by taking on the position of Director of Program Acquisitions. From there, she stayed involved until graduation, even serving as General Manager of the station for a year.

Today, Jill lives in Los Angeles and is the Assistant Production Coordinator with "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which means she is involved in budgets, travel arrangements, and other logistics for the show.While Jill could spend her spare time watching her favorite TV shows such as "Glee," Modern Family," or "The Office," she instead chose to take on a position with "So You Think You Can Dance," a position Jill found by connecting with a DePauw alumni. Although working on two shows has created a very crowded schedule, Jill says she would not have it any other way and credits her success to her willingness to take on extra responsibilities. "Being successful depends on having a good attitude and just saying 'yes' to everything. The hours are long, and productions often become super hectic," she said. "But, if you love it, you love it. And I know there is nothing else I'd rather be doing!"

If you want to see what Jill is working on, give "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" a chance! It airs at 11 am weekdays on WTHR, the Indianapolis NBC affiliate.