This Valley Stream native set to learn the ropes of TV show-making at Disney

Valley Stream native and North High School alumnus Maiya Jannah recently started an internship through the Television Academy Foundation as one of 40 students across the country as a paid intern at premier studios and production companies in Hollywood.

Jannah, a rising senior at Brown University studying modern culture and media and literary arts, is interning at The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California.

The program, launched in 1980, provides aspiring visionaries with opportunities to be mentored by professionals in the television industry and get hands-on experience in the field. Jannah’s internship focus is the production of scripted series, meaning she will learn about screenwriting, directing and producing scripted television shows.

“I feel like my ultimate goal in my career is to write, direct, act, produce, and so getting to do this internship is really like getting to see the big picture of everything that it takes to do it all,” said Jannah. “It provides me a really well-rounded look into what I’ll need to do and the things I’ll need to know to direct, write, act, produce.”

Laura Colella, a professor of Jannah’s at Brown, introduced her to the program and wrote her a recommendation for her application.

“Maiya has been thriving in many different roles and experiences as a filmmaker, and it was no surprise that she was accepted for this competitive internship,” Colella said. “I’m sure, as with all of her endeavors, she’ll be greatly appreciated, and will continue to increase her considerable skills and fan base.”

In addition to being selected for the internship program, Jannah was also selected as a Bob Bennett Future Leader, a program that enables ten students to be leaders in the television industry by forging connections between students and professionals in the industry.

“Maiya was selected for the Bob Bennett Future Leaders Program based on her accomplishments, initiative and commitment to leadership — both academically and professionally,” said Anne Vasquez, executive director of the Television Academy Foundation. “Her exceptional leadership skills resulted in her being the first sophomore ever to be named director of the Ivy Film Festival, the world’s largest student-run film festival hosted at Brown University. As festival director she developed a ‘Rising Star Grant,’ which provides funds to marginalized filmmakers with projects in various stages of development. Her drive, creativity and interest in promoting inclusivity are what we look for when choosing candidates for this program.”

Jannah said that her family and community are at the heart of her journey from Valley Stream to Los Angeles.

“My family are my greatest supporters and they will follow me to the ends of the earth no matter what path I choose,” said Jannah. “. . . So my family has definitely followed me throughout this path, but they’ve also created such a great community in our hometown. I went to Howell Road Elementary School and all of the teachers there are super supportive; I’m still in contact with all of them.”

Jannah added, “It really is about the community that I’ve built and the values that they’ve instilled in me, and the values that I’ve had to practice within that community that have enabled me to get to where I have been able and fortunate to get to right now.”

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