Last fall, Bernadette Velasco was a communications student in Cal State Fullerton’s Event Planning and Management course, where she gained hands-on experience planning the Newport Beach Film Festival.

A year later, she is putting these skills into practice in her new role as director of community partnerships for the festival.

“Taking the Event Planning and Management course was a turning point for me,” says Velasco ’24 (BA Communications Entertainment and Tourism), who was originally interested in a career as a physical therapist. She credits the class for helping her discover her true passion.

The eight-day festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, offers communications students practical opportunities to collaborate with international teams, local media and civil society organizations. In the course, students are divided into teams based on the countries the films come from, for example Team Australia, Team Korea, Team Japan, Team Mexico, Team Italy and more.

During her time with Team Mexico, Velasco developed her management, critical thinking and communication skills, while also learning how to work effectively with partners to plan an event of this magnitude. Seeing the festival come together at the end of the experience inspired Velasco to pursue a career in event planning and communications.

“The theater was packed because it was sold out and everyone had a good time at the after party. Seeing that and knowing that my team came up with all these ideas was a very rewarding experience,” said Velasco.

Her work on the course led to an internship at the Newport Beach Film Festival before graduating, which ultimately opened the door to her current leadership role.

“It was a great growth experience,” Velasco said.

In her professional role, Velasco oversees collaboration with more than 60 local nonprofits and community organizations in Orange County. This year the festival will screen more than 300 films from more than 50 countries.

Velasco returned to CSUF this fall to share her expertise with current students planning the festival and said she is eager to help students hone their skills.

“Event planning and communication is not a single-player game. You have to be a team player and build strong relationships,” she said.

“The job market is tough and this course gives students hands-on experience that makes them stronger communicators. It can make a huge difference in their career.”

Training future generations of communicators

CSUF students working with the Newport Beach Film Festival are part of a larger tradition founded by Gregg Schwenk, CEO of the festival and lecturer in communications at CSUF.

Schwenk, who has taught the communications course for 23 years, designed the program to give students hands-on experience in business development, outreach and event planning.

“The course gives students the opportunity to put theory into practice. They work in a very safe and nurturing environment, but this comes with real-world challenges and expectations,” said Schwenk. “It is a unique experience that prepares them for the industry.”

Schwenk has seen many of his former students, like Velasco, work in professional roles, with some of them returning to mentor and hire the next generation of festival organizers.

“It’s exciting to see my former students hire current students and continue the cycle of growth and opportunity,” Schwenk said.