St. Paul Conservatory Alumna Selected for Internship in Hollywood

Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists alumna Lucy Durben has been selected for the prestigious Television Academy Foundation Internship Program. She is one of just five students chosen by Television Academy members from across the country for the 2024 Fall Internship Program. The Foundation offers paid internships at top Hollywood studios and production companies annually to college students nationwide.

Durben is currently a senior at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, majoring in screenwriting and minoring in theater. She will be an intern in the scripted-development department at The Walt Disney Company/FX this fall through the Foundation’s program.

Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Durben attended Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists in St. Paul.

“I’m most excited to gain hands-on experience and knowledge of the development process for scripted programming, knowing it will help prepare me for post-college industry work in TV,” said Durben. “Also, as a longtime fan of FX content, being able to learn from the professionals there is such an amazing opportunity and honor.

“I was a competitive figure skater for 13 years, so I fell in love with performing and storytelling early on,” said Durben. “Later, I was lucky enough to have that passion encouraged at my conservatory high school where I did theater for four years straight! It was there I was introduced to playwriting, which led me to screenwriting and learning that pursuing a television career was even possible.

“My ultimate career aspiration is to be a TV writer or showrunner on an animated kids show, either for preschool or big kids!” continued Durben. “To be able to make TV that can help kids like it helped me (and be enjoyed by a multigenerational audience, too) would be the dream. I’d also just love to play any part in TV development, especially for animation and comedy.”

The Television Academy Foundation shapes the art of creating television by engaging and educating the next generation of television professionals providing essential resources that help them discover their voices, refine their skills and forge rewarding careers in every sector of the television industry. The Internship Program provides over 50 students from across the nation with hands-on work experience, mentorships and opportunities for accelerated career development in more than 30 disciplines annually.

The Television Academy Foundation’s Internship Program also provides professional-development sessions with leaders in the television industry and customized seminars covering personal brand-building and navigating the job market ahead for participating students.

Foundation alumni include prominent writers, producers, documentarians, creative executives, network presidents and more. Interns also automatically become members of the Foundation’s alumni family giving them access to year-round events and networking opportunities as they build their careers in the industry.