Alisha Zafar, KLN ’16, saw an opportunity in the moments television viewers never got to watch.

A taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert could stretch beyond two hours, she said, while the broadcast featured about 40 to 45 minutes of content. Between audience questions, exchanges with the band and conversations with guests, there was more to share.

Zafar pitched a series that would give those moments a home. That idea became Colbert Before Air, the digital companion series that won the 2026 Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series. Zafar is among the producers recognized for the YouTube series.

“I pitched it as a sort of digital VIP pass, giving fans access to some of the best moments with Stephen,” Zafar said. “The idea was to maintain the same editorial and broadcast standards while making it feel like a special treat for the fans.”

Producing the series required watching each taping with an eye for what happened beyond the broadcast: audience banter, extended interviews and spontaneous interactions that departed from the show’s usual format.

Zafar collaborated with editors to turn that footage into episodes and worked with the graphics team to develop an introduction that felt playful while remaining connected to the broadcast. She also brought selections to Colbert for his review and approval.

When the series won the Emmy, Zafar was stunned.

“My heart was pounding, but when they announced Colbert Before Air, all I could focus on was getting my equally shocked teammates up on that stage,” she said.

For Zafar, who worked her way from production assistant to senior producer and department head during nearly a decade at the show, the award recognized years of creative work and advocacy for her team.

“It was especially meaningful to see a project we put so much heart into to receive that kind of recognition,” she said.

At Temple, Zafar found opportunities to develop that creativity in classrooms, student productions and the Honors office, where she began working as a first-year student.

Amanda Neuber, assistant vice provost of the Sullivan Honors College, remembers how naturally Zafar fit into an office that encouraged students to bring their interests and talents to their work.

“She brought so much warmth and energy and creativity to her role,” Neuber said.

Zafar gravitated toward social media, flyers and event planning. As an Honors Ambassador, she also helped recruit prospective students. Neuber remembers a student with clear communications aspirations who benefited from having room to experiment and learn alongside others.

One Halloween, Zafar organized the Honors staff to come to work dressed as one another. She arrived dressed as Neuber, complete with a red blazer, black pants, a camera and—in recognition of Neuber’s upcoming wedding—a veil.

That humor came with an ability to connect with people that Neuber now recognizes in Zafar’s television work.

“She was always able to get the best out of people, make people feel seen and heard,” Neuber said.

Zafar credits Neuber and the Honors staff with encouraging her creativity and helping her find direction. She also named Barry Vacker, Matt Fine and Temple Los Angeles’ Amy Olk among the educators who shaped her experience.

Temple Smash, the university’s student-produced sketch comedy show, offered another formative lesson: how to keep going when a performance did not go as planned.

Zafar remembers an improv audition that left the room laughing. Her performance in the actual sketch show, she said, fell flat.

“But I kept showing up, kept working, and kept trying to better myself with every opportunity,” she said.

The experience helped prepare her for an industry with both exhilarating successes and difficult setbacks.

“There are some pretty high highs and low lows in the entertainment industry, and that experience taught me that no matter how many times you fail, you have to keep pushing forward,” she said.

That persistence also shaped her search for professional opportunities. Before securing her first internship in Los Angeles, Zafar applied to more than 50 positions. In Philadelphia, she pursued news internships even though entertainment was her goal. Those experiences helped her build relationships and demonstrated that she was dependable, eventually leading to the NBC Page Program and The Late Show.

Now working primarily as a freelance digital producer, writer and editor, Zafar encourages students to stay open to unexpected opportunities and build relationships with both established professionals and their peers.

“You are the future of this industry, and I genuinely believe the best way to move up is to move up together, alongside people you respect and admire,” she said. “You might just make some lifelong friends along the way as well.”