Digital Media and Journalism major Justin Paoletta ’27 is building the skills and experience to pursue his goal of a career in content creation, social media, and videography with an NBA or NFL team.
In his sophomore year, Justin worked as a video production intern with SLAM Magazine, which covers every level of basketball, from high school and college to the NBA, where he used his skills in video and photo editing to create long-form and short-form content for SLAM’s Instagram, TikTok and X accounts. More than 10 videos he created achieved 200,000 likes and two million views across all social media platforms.
As Justin begins his senior year, he is strengthening his skills by working for the University of Connecticut’s football team as a creative content intern. “There I’m getting more experience on the video side through filming and editing content,” he says. Justin describes both professional experiences as helping him “better understand the type of creative career I want to pursue and has pushed me to continue to improve my skills.”
Justin is now focused on building his professional network and creating meaningful connections within the industry. He credits the communication skills and confidence he developed at UHart with empowering him to reach out to companies and organizations independently, build relationships, and create professional opportunities for himself and his brand. “These skills give me a strong foundation, but UHart also taught me how to apply them in real-world situations and how to build a professional portfolio,” he says.
He credits the small class sizes with giving him more opportunities to connect with professors and stay engaged and involved in the classroom. His advice to incoming students is simple: “Put yourself out there and take advantage of every opportunity you can.”
Justin Paoletta ’27, Digital Media and Journalism MajorThese skills give me a strong foundation, but UHart also taught me how to apply them in real-world situations and how to build a professional portfolio.