Ilana Peña always wanted to write her own coming of age show featuring a tween/teenage Latina protagonist that audiences of all ages could enjoy. However, many of the shows she loved as a child celebrated boyhood, and the shows that did feature female leads were geared exclusively to young audiences. Peña is the creator, showrunner, executive producer, and director of the critically acclaimed Diary of a Future President, which tells the story of a young Latina girl whose experiences as a tween are foundational to becoming the leader of the country. On this episode of Northwestern Intersections, Peña shares her experiences being a writer on the supportive, women-led set of the renowned, musical comedy-drama Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and how she fostered that same uplifting, women-led space on her own show for cast and crew to thrive. She also underscores the importance of telling positive and joyous stories that show Latinx and LGBTQ folks as multifaceted, cultivating your community, and being loud about what you want.
Northwestern Intersections will be featuring all-female guests during the month of March in recognition of Women’s History Month, so we may uplift and celebrate the alumna who are shaping their respective fields.
Dorothy Tucker ‘78 on her Lasting Career in Reporting
Emily Farr ’03 on Launching Her Own Firm and Nonprofit
Conversations with the NAA Board President: 2018 Northwestern Alumni Medalists Edition
Ben Parr ’08 on Networking to Make Career Transitions
Heather Foster ’03 on Growing Through the Obama Campaign and Administration
Sarah Powers ’02 on her Nontraditional Path to Podcasting
Thaddeus Tukes ’16 on Creating a Major and a Lifestyle
Alexis Alexanian ’85 on Mentoring the Next Generation of Women
Peter Schoenke ’92, ’93 MS on Becoming a Fantasy Sports Entrepreneur
Amanda Litman ’12 on her Passion for Progressive Politics
Dr. Don Martin ’94 PhD on Insights for Applicants
Natasha Lindor '09 MS on Finding Happiness through Coaching
Jonathan Eig '86 on his Career Path in Journalism
Apryl Schlueter '02 on a Career Change to Find Balance
Carlos Paret '13 MBA on Integrating His Personal Life into a Successful Career
Daniel H. Pink '86 on How Timing and Motivation Impact our Lives
Dr. Alexandra Solomon '98, '02 PhD on Loving Relationships and her Career at Northwestern
The Best of Alumni Career Advice
Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow '71 on Three Successful Careers in One Lifetime
Daniel Moser '02 PhD on Using a Theater Background to Communicate with Confidence
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