Holden Correia-Fisher is a senior radio, television, and film (RTF) major at Rowan University. He got his start in the RTF field in high school which sprouted his desire for the TV industry.
“I found out that my high school had a TV production programming studio, which at the time I was not involved with in television at all. I mostly did audio and lighting for musicals and live shows,” says Correia-Fisher.
“I joined the high school TV program and quickly realized that I loved it very much. I got up to the point where I was doing a lot of the engineering in the studio as a student,” Correia-Fisher said.
Correia-Fisher’s introduction to Rowan came during the pandemic. He saw that there was a club called Rowan Television Network, or RTN, and joined it.
“I found out there was a club called Rowan Television Network, which sounded like a great continuation of what I did in high school,” Correia-Fisher said. Correia-Fisher’s inspiration came when he was a child when he got his first audio console at six years old. “When I was a kid, I always loved technology. I just always enjoyed electronics. I loved figuring out how things work,” says Correia-Fisher.
“I have always enjoyed doing this and I am just so happy that there was an actual career path that is exactly what I enjoy doing,” he said.
Correia-Fisher has had some struggles balancing his career and his schooling. Some of those challenges include maintaining his confidence and managing the technical side of RTN while also doing his schoolwork and having a personal life.
“It took a little bit for me for me to get comfortable with doing both. Having a calendar and a schedule helps to be able to know when to do things,” Correia-Fisher said. “Confidence is really what I was lacking. It wasn’t so much that I had the confidence in my abilities to do something. It was ‘Am I the right person for this job?’ Overcoming that confidence hurdle is important because it makes you see things differently.”
Correia-Fisher reflects on his time at Rowan University and goes as far as to say that RTN has had the most impact throughout his time in college.
“I’ve gotten so many cool connections through RTN. Take advantage of what opportunities you have. Anyone who has a passion for something, find out what you can do to fulfill that passion and allow it to grow. Everyone should find what that is for them,” says Correia-Fisher.
Some advice that Correia-Fisher has for future students who want to get into TV production is to make connections, be kind to everyone, try new things, and don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone.
“It’s all about connections. Knowing someone who knows someone is so much more important than your degree on paper. From what I learned in my personal experience, college is what you make it. Nothing is stopping people from taking those opportunities that come to you,” says Correia-Fisher.
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