By Bethany Chow I must say that when I first applied to join DCI, I thought it would be a Very SeriousTM program with students that worked with the Public Information Office (PIO) of our school district, formulaically creating videos, taking photos, and managing the AUSD social media accounts. Three years later, I’ve realized that my assumptions were only half true. Yes, DCI works with the PIO, but the PIO is more than an acronym—it’s two people, Ms. Nuuvali and Mr. Foran, who are a few of the most passionate and driven people I have met during my time in high school. Additionally, DCI isn’t a class where you’re taught to make videos, take photos, and manage social media accounts. It’s real life experience.
I cannot express how thankful I am to DCI for truly allowing me to experience the Arcadia Unified School District through varying perspectives. DCI was the program that challenged me to take chances. It was DCI that allowed me to attend a full rehearsal of Arcadia High’s acclaimed Arcadia Stage Spring Performance. I’ll never forget watching the casts’ amazing acting and singing in the massive Performing Arts Center all alone with a camera in hand. In DCI, I progressed from making simplistic videos about clubs I attended and was familiar with to creating videos on a brand new CIF-winning League of Legends Esports Team. Attending sports games with front row seats was not something I would have expected to enjoy, but DCI gave me that opportunity too, from the CIF Finals of Co-ed Badminton to the nationally recognized Arcadia Invitational. I’m proud that I grew from a sophomore who couldn’t seem to understand how Facebook worked to the manager of the AUSD Facebook Page of over 8000 followers. With that said, this is my advice to you, whether you are a hopeful applicant, current DCI member, or website passerby: take your chances, join DCI, and delve enthusiastically into AUSD, a school district of unparalleled depth and inspiration.
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By Kathy (Kailin) Liu Hi everyone! My name is Kathy (Kailin) Liu and I am an 8-semester DCI senior who will be graduating this June. As my high school career comes to a close, I am so grateful that DCI has been with me every step of the way. Aside from being a rare, professional opportunity that has introduced me to numerous hard skills like photography and graphic design, to soft skills like capturing an audience and interpersonal collaboration, DCI at the end of the day is a family. DCIers come from all corners of campus and it has been an honor to work alongside musicians, artists, performers, athletes, student representatives, academics, and so much more.
To my incredible fellow interns, my only piece of advice would be this: keep being amazing. DCIers are positive, professional, and passionate about what they do inside of DCI and out. Look to your left and look to your right. DCI is brimming with talent, connections, and support. If we give our all to this family, this family will give its all back to us. You guys grab onto opportunities and by doing so, create a path forward for others beyond DCI to thrive. Whether it be through writing articles, recording podcasts, or judging middle school entries, you guys lead by example in the subtlest of ways. A great leader is not always the one known for their work. Just like how our names follow the caption, our kind of leadership allows others to shine so that the entire community can shine collectively instead of individually. Thank you all for being such incredible inspirations. And to Mr. Foran and Ms. Nuuvali, thank you for being the best mentors I could ask for. From your never ending troves of puns to invaluable constructive criticism, you have instilled so much confidence in me these past four years. I would not have had the confidence to attempt all that I have accomplished without your and the DCI family’s unfailing support. Now, although I will be adding alumni to the front of my DCI title, DCI remains with me in my actions, abilities, and aspirations. Thank you, love you guys, and until next time, this has been Kathy Liu, from AUSD DCI! *cue AUSD Today logo and AUSD ending card* by Joya Sarkar On March 31, 2022, DCI was able to attend and cover Spring Preview in person after three years. On this Thursday afternoon, DCI interns attended to either help out at the DCI booth or take photos/video for publication! The team had a great time informing the community about DCI and what interns do for the district. Make sure to check out DCI's coverage for Spring Preview on the AUSD Instagram and Facebook pages!
by Joya Sarkar On March 17, 2022, DCI's AUSD Today Broadcast News team was awarded a CalSPRA (Excellence in Communications Awards Program) Award of Excellence in Multimedia/Visual Communication! Our interns on the AUSD Today team work hard to produce broadcast news videos to share important news and information with the Arcadia Unified School District community. A huge congratulations and round of applause to our interns for their continuous hard work and dedication!
by Joya Sarkar On February 14, 2022, DCI interns, Claire Li and Jodie Tran, presented about Instagram's Reels to the DCI team. DCIers were informed about the many benefits of reels, when to film a reel, and how to edit a reel.
On October 4, 2021, DCI Intern Danielle Workman presented specific functions on Google Sheets to the team. DCIers learned the different vocabulary of Google Sheets, basic functions, and one advanced function called "sort." DCI now knows how to apply these concepts as high schoolers on our budget, volunteer hours, task list, and more.
One of the many cool aspects of DCI is learning from peers with different interests and expertise. During skill presentations, which are entirely student-led, students can teach peers about subjects such as photography, graphic design, editing, platforms and tools, professionalism, and real-world skills. Skill presentations are also a good way to practice public speaking, an often daunting task. Thank you to everyone who stepped up and has taken the time to create and present skill presentations this year! We hope you find them helpful!
by Jeffrey Lee Ok—here’s the truth (and don’t tell anyone!). I first joined Arcadia High School’s Digital Communications Internship because, well, the name. You don’t see many high schoolers who get to say they’re in an internship, so I wanted in. So not knowing what I was getting myself into, I filled out the extensive application, responded way too late to confirm that I was going to the interview (that could have definitely been the end of my DCI career there), and made my way into the group interview.
Fast forward 4 years to now, and I strongly believe that DCI was the most transformative experience of my high school career. It’s the main reason why I’m majoring in Communications, and gave me a huge headstart in many of the media activities I am in today. by Grace Lee “Opportunity optimization!” is one of Mr. Foran’s favorite things to say in DCI meetings, especially when a guest speaker comes to visit. In today’s increasingly competitive modern society, those words could not be more important to remember. Everyone has a skillset they believe is worthy of a job, but not as many people know how to make that clear.
Landing a job or securing an internship isn’t as simple as stacking up your resume and looking great on paper. For better or for worse, there’s a good chance that there are many, many applicants with similar, outstanding qualifications and experience. However, there are more important qualities that may not translate as well onto paper: proactivity, passion, and ideas. How, then, does one get these aspects of themselves across to their potential employer or mentor? by Claire Li As the world transitioned to a more isolated, virtual environment, DCI continued to strive to keep the community connected through completely online means, Though this new change has been different and, at times, frustrating, DCI has truly made the best of the situation, conducting productive meetings and working to produce projects that will benefit the Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD).
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Blog Posts Written by DCI Interns and Alumni Archives
February 2024
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