This year’s MTV Video Music Awards were held in Newark, New Jersey and featured many celebrity guests and performers. Two Klein College of Media and Communication graduates were also in attendance to report on the festivities. Tennyson Donnie Coleman, KLN ‘16, and Zoe Moore, KLN ‘17, put skills they learned at Temple University to work and took on the challenge of the high-profile red carpet.

While at Temple, Coleman and Moore met through their Media Performance class taught by Klein College professor Amy Caples. Working at media internships and participating in student organizations like Temple University Television enhanced their individual undergraduate experiences. 

Now, Coleman is a multimedia journalist and entertainment reporter for NJ.com. The VMAs was his first red carpet, and his perseverance was put to the test. He was rewarded by getting to chat with some of today’s top entertainers, including rapper Megan Thee Stallion and DJ and former Temple Owl Diplo. In his favorite moment of the night, he caught the attention of rapper and singer Lizzo right before she entered the venue.

“I just yelled ‘What are you performing tonight?’ I didn’t know what she was going to say,” he says. “She just turned around and looked at me and said ‘You just wait and see!’ in the most Lizzo way. It was just such a ‘wow’ moment for me...and I felt like from that moment, I could do that with anyone.”

Coleman is thankful for the experiences Klein College offered him, and encourages current students to use what they have learned as a foundation for their future endeavors.

“We have so many tools to our advantage,” he says. “If you want something, there’s so many ways to attack it these days.”

Moore serves as associate social media producer at ABC News’ Good Morning America, and spoke to celebrities on the red carpet for the show’s social media channels. Though GMA has placed her on red carpets before, this year’s VMAs was her biggest. Her favorite part of working the awards show was watching how celebrities interacted with one another. Much like Coleman, it made her realize that they are not much different from people we connect with everyday.

“GMA has given me a lot of opportunities, so I’ve worked with a bunch of different celebrities,” she says. “So I feel like it is just kind of like ‘Oh, they’re just people!’”

Moore also credits her time at Klein College with strengthening her work ethic and helping her become more comfortable showcasing her expertise. She suggests that Temple students take advantage of the opportunities available to them so that they can grow.

“Don’t get discouraged. I heard a lot of ‘no’s before I got that one ‘yes.’ And just apply for anything and everything even if you think you might not get it,” she says. “You never know who is going to take a chance on you and give you that one opportunity you need to jumpstart your career.”