Friday, November 6, 2026
For Glen Cove High School senior Charlotte Dilgard-Clark, interviewing someone with millions of social media followers was an opportunity unlike anything she had experienced in her school’s broadcasting program.
Dilgard-Clark, an aspiring communications student who has conducted interviews and produced podcasts through the school’s media programs, found herself face to face with YouTube and TikTok personality Carter Kench on Oct. 30. What began as an opportunity to meet a familiar face from social media became a lesson in pursuing creative ambitions.
“I’ve been watching his videos online for a long time, and it was kind of surreal, but just so much fun talking to him in person,” Dilgard-Clark said.
Kench’s visit was part of an educational experience organized by Friends of Arts & Music Enrichment Glen Cove, known as FAME GC, in partnership with the Glen Cove City School District. The event brought students from Robert M. Finley Middle School and Glen Cove High School together for Halloween festivities, hands-on production experience and conversations about careers in digital media.
The morning began at Finley Middle School, where Kench joined Glen Cove High School alumna Melinda Basaca, associate costume director at The Public Theater, and high school senior Alexandra Southe as guest judges for the school’s annual Halloween costume contest.
Students in sixth through eighth grades showcased their costumes on a runway, while high school fashion students took responsibility for coordinating the production.
Under the guidance of teacher LeeAnn Palazzo, the students managed participants, organized the runway and oversaw backstage operations, gaining experience similar to that of a professional fashion show.
Kench, who was invited to participate by FAME GC, said meeting the students was particularly meaningful.
“I was over the moon to hear about this, because I just love meeting, and getting to see the people that I make videos for in person,” he said.
The festivities continued at Glen Cove High School, where students from Podcast Cove interviewed Kench before a live audience. GCTV students also conducted interviews, giving aspiring broadcasters opportunities to practice their reporting skills.
The discussion explored personal branding, monetization, partnerships and the skills needed to build a career in the rapidly expanding creator economy.
For FAME GC Vice President Maria Laino DeLuca, the visit represented an opportunity to connect traditional arts education with emerging professional fields.
“The creator economy is something that’s not going away,” DeLuca said. “It’s becoming a valid career path.”
She explained that the organization regularly brings professionals from different artistic and creative backgrounds into schools, but Kench was its first visiting content creator.
Rather than limiting his appearance to a presentation, organizers wanted students to participate in different aspects of the event, from costume production to interviewing and technical operations.
DeLuca said the experience was intentionally multidisciplinary, allowing students to see how their classroom skills could translate into professional opportunities.
The event also marked an important milestone for Glen Cove High School teacher Valerie Lasser, who teaches television production and podcasting.
A 1990 graduate of the school, Lasser returned to teach after a 30-year career that included work as a film editor. She launched the school’s podcasting program last year and has since expanded it into two courses.
Kench’s appearance marked the program’s first studio podcast recorded before a live audience.
Lasser said the classes emphasize listening, conversation and storytelling while introducing students to sound design, distribution and other technical aspects of podcast production.
“It’s opened up a lot of doors, I think, for a lot of students to get creative and think about storytelling and live conversations and sound design and music,” she said.
The program has already generated substantial interest, with more students seeking to participate than are currently enrolled.
For Dilgard-Clark, however, the day’s most memorable lesson was not about building an audience or generating revenue. It was Kench’s advice about approaching creative work with curiosity rather than pressure.
“He spoke about how his view when he first started on YouTube was always just to view it as a hobby, have fun, and see where it leads him,” she said.
As she prepares for life after graduation, the message resonated.
“It was really nice hearing someone say, have fun,” she said.
