COLD SPRING – Lower Cape May Regional High School alumna Aylin Alvarez Santiago has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 44th College Television Awards, along with 15 other Montclair State University classmates.
Santiago, 23, was a director, producer and writer on a 30-minute film called “Arizona Stories: Border, Water & Politics” while attending Montclair State. She and her classmates traveled to Arizona to work on the project as part of an “On the Road: Reporting From the Field” class for Montclair News Lab.
The program aired in May 2024 on Montclair Township’s Local Access Channel 34 and covered six topics in Arizona, including immigration, homelessness, Native American culture, the drought and the environmental impact of millions of visitors to the Grand Canyon. Santiago, who graduated from Montclair State University in May, helped produce a segment on what it takes to become a cowboy.
“While logistics, equipment, and things like that were a daily challenge, for me and one other person who are children of immigrants, doing a story on immigration and the border was difficult,” she said. “We knew it was a sensitive subject and thought that maybe we shouldn’t do a story on it, but that felt like a slap in the face to our parents and all they sacrificed to be here.
“We were at the border for two days, and the first time I saw this 30-foot wall, I had to walk away. I started sobbing, thinking that I needed to thank my parents. It made this project even more important.”
The Television Academy Foundation’s annual awards show recognizes excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red carpet awards ceremony April 5 at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.
Designed to emulate the Emmy Awards, student entries are judged by Television Academy members. Criteria for the College Television Awards reflect industry standards of excellence, imagination and innovation.
Santiago was nominated, along with her 15 classmates, in the News category, placing the school among only three nationwide recognized in this category out of more than 230 submissions.
“Our group worked really well together,” she said. “There was just a special connection. We are so honored to have been nominated, it’s surreal. We were all on the phone crying together with happiness, excitement and love after we found out we were nominated. I just booked my flight tickets, and now it’s time to find out the dress code and glam it up!”
Santiago’s interest in filmmaking developed while she was a student at the Cape May Film Camp, which she started attending when she was 11. There, counselors and other professionals in the business helped the campers write, film and edit short productions.
“I have to admit that I was not the best student in high school,” she said, “and I liked to joke around. I got serious about filmmaking in college, and just love it.”
Beyond her studies, Santiago manages social media for a French bakery in West Cape May and occasionally creates floral arrangements. She also collaborated with TikTok star Jersey Joe, editing and filming content to engage his audience.
“Arizona Stories: Border, Water & Politics” developed as part of one of her college course’s requirements. The location – Arizona – was selected by her professor, but the students had to develop and pitch story ideas after researching a variety of topics.
“Being an election year, there were a lot of topics that we could cover,” she said. One segment features politics for young voters, while another addresses the drought and the environment. She wanted to do something “light,” and found the Arizona Cowboy College in Scottsdale for her segment on how to become a cowboy.
“Being nominated is an incredible honor that validates the hard work and dedication my team and I poured into this project,” Santiago said. “It symbolizes the importance of telling stories that matter. Winning would be a dream come true.
“As a first-generation college graduate, navigating higher education was a significant challenge. Balancing cultural expectations while pursuing my passion for storytelling often felt overwhelming. Financial barriers and self-doubt also tested my perseverance, but they ultimately shaped my determination and drive to amplify underrepresented voices through my work.”
Filming the segment on immigration and the border made “a good semester even better,” she said. Her parents came to the U.S. from a small town in Mexico 30 years ago, through Arizona, where the students filmed.
“I knew from a journalistic perspective I had to keep my emotions out of it,” Santiago said, “but I really feel so lucky to have been there, and seen the border. I have such gratitude and appreciation for all my parents went through.”
Attending nominees of the 44th College Television Awards will participate in professional development events with media and industry leaders and a special screening of their films for Television Academy members prior to the awards show April 5.
Prominent College Television Awards alumni include CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen; Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” director, Patricia Riggen; “Maya and the Three” executive producer Jorge Gutierrez, and “Love, Victor” executive producer Jason Ensler.
Contact the reporter, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.
