Novak | PACE UNIVERSITY
What’s Up, Doc?
Courtney Novak '11
MA in Media and Communication Arts
Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Westchester Campus
As a student in Pace’s Media, Communication, and Visual Arts (MCVA) graduate program, Courtney Novak ’11 was able to take her coursework and apply it to her profession through a variety of opportunities including Pace’s award-winning Producing the Documentary Course.
Novak took advantage of two of these courses: The first The Life of an American Ambassador took Pace students to the Netherlands, where they followed US Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin and documented her role and duties as an appointed official to the United States. The documentary was the recipient of a Best in Category Award for the documentary category at the 2010 Indie Short Film Competition.
Her second trip took her and other student filmmakers to Belize to explore the life of an aquaculture entrepreneur and sustainable shrimp farming. The film Linda Thornton: Seeking Sustainability, One Shrimp at a Time, was awarded a Best Short Documentary Award of Merit at the 2011 Best Shorts Competition, appeared in the New York Times “Dot Earth” blog, and even received a congratulatory tweet from aquatic filmmaker and explorer Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.
Before and after the trip, Novak and other MCA students were able to take advantage of Pace’s state-of-the-art Communications Center for script writing, video shooting, editing, audio sweetening, and production.
“The Media and Communication Video Arts program at Pace University really helped prepare me for life in the very competitive production industry. Coming in, I knew nothing about production, but I learned everything I needed to know, and now I’m an associate producer,” says Novak.
Hear more from Novak and other MCA students as they discuss opportunities in the Producing the Documentary course video.

Courtney
Novak
"The Media and Communication Video Arts program at Pace University really helped prepare me for life in the very competitive production industry. Coming in, I knew nothing about production, but I learned everything I needed to know, and now I’m an associate producer."
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Noura
Boustany JostFilm, Television, Voice-overs, and Commercials (FTVC) student Noura Boustany Jost ’18 is well on her way to becoming a force in the motion picture business. After just two years at Pace, she’s already produced, written, directed, and starred in her own Screen Actors Guild (SAG)-approved film.
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Alanna
McCattyCommunication Studies student Alanna McCatty is funding her entire Pace education through merit and outside scholarships and shares her tips for landing scholarships, internships, and other opportunities at Pace.
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Shirley
Acevedo Buontempo"I am very grateful for the opportunities I’ve received through my Pace education. I realize how an education can change your life. From my marketing undergraduate degree to my MPA in non-profit management, everything I’ve learned at Pace has helped me get to where I am now."
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Jacqueline
Kelleher"I chose to study abroad to immerse myself in a place that is unfamiliar to me, to reflect on my education in America, and to see what other institutions have to offer. Receiving the Gilman Scholarship is a true blessing and I can’t wait to share my experience with my fellow Pace students."