Across the country, before the football games kicked off and the turkey was on the table for Thanksgiving, many families tuned into the National Dog Show on NBC.
This year, Ursinus student Lily Nagy, of Etters, Pennsylvania, played a role in the production of the National Dog Show, which was recorded at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks on November 15 and 16.
“It’s surreal,” said Nagy. “I’ve watched the Dog Show with my family every year, and it’s a tradition for a lot of families. When I first got this internship and (found out) I was going to have some sort of role, that was really cool. It’s a really fulfilling thing to be involved in.”
Nagy spent the fall semester interning with Vizion Group Public Relations, a public relations and event planning agency based in Berwyn, Pa. Vizion works on several high-profile events, including the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe and The National Dog Show by Purina, which airs every Thanksgiving on NBC.
Her role has included a lot of the work leading up to the National Dog Show, such as writing press releases, organizing promotional events, tracking ticket sales, and contributing to promotional material, as well as helping the event run smoothly in the arena.
“I, and two other women, were in charge of getting the dog owners to sign waivers, authorizing their dogs to be recorded and televised by NBC, which is an important part,” Nagy explained. “If that waiver isn’t signed, that’s a segment that has to be cut out of the broadcast, which is unfortunate for the dog and its owner, especially if they [were to win] their group.”
The media and communication studies major said working at Vizion Group and being involved in the National Dog Show has been extremely rewarding. The experience has helped her narrow her career interests, as she gets ready to head into her last semester at Ursinus and start applying for jobs.
“Ursinus is a small school, but I feel like there are so many good connections, even alumni [to reach out to],” she said. “If you use the resources here, you can find things (and people). I’m so thankful to Michele (Poruban) and the office of career and professional development for helping me find this experience.”
Learn more about Lil Nagy and other student success stories by visiting Ursinus College.
