Caroline Schreiber ’15 chose her Screenwriting major to get a leg up in the television world. She added a European Studies major just because she loved it. And by the time she graduated, her two majors gave her the edge she needed to land a dream job that combines both passions.
Schreiber studied European history, politics, civilization, art, language, and literature in the interdisciplinary European Studies program. “I’ve had a fascination with Europe my whole life,” she explains. “I really wanted to learn a lot about European history, and I could really cater the courses to what I wanted.”
In addition to her in-class experiences, Schreiber completed three study abroad programs in London, Rome, and Paris. She immersed herself in the host countries, where she studied renaissance and medieval art history. Those classes “were life-changing,” she says. “Some people look at art as something in the past, but in reality it’s the original form of storytelling.”
Schreiber honed professional writing skills for TV in her screenwriting courses, and took screenwriting internships with production studios to make connections. But it was her liberal arts degree that gave her an edge when applying for writing jobs.
Schreiber is now a Writer’s Production Assistant on “Reign,” a historical fiction television show about Mary Queen of Scots that airs on the CW. Her first day of work was the Monday after graduation.
“Most of my job [is assisting] the staff writers with research for scripts,” she reports. “And I help come up with ways to make historical events dramatic and accurate.”
For Schreiber, this job is a dream come true. “I wanted to write for historical TV, and I would never have gotten the job if I didn’t have a European history background,” she explains.
After continuing to work as a writer’s production assistant for a few years, Schreiber hopes to work as a staff writer in historical television. “My goal is to have my own show in 10 to 20 years and be surrounded by others as passionate about history as I am,” she says.
Schreiber says that her liberal arts degree didn’t just get her a great job; it shaped who she has become. “I loved what I studied, and I learned so much,” she says. “I became a more well-rounded person.”