Bellisario College student walks the red carpet for summer internship

(Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series of stories about students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications completing summer internships.)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — New York-native and Penn State student Danielle Sanois is seeing the city from a new perspective this summer — the red carpet. The senior advertising/public relations major is interning with Warner Bros. Discovery and playing a part in the summer’s biggest entertainment events.

Her first event of the summer? The famed Tribeca Film Festival in early June.

“My first official day was a Tuesday, and the event for Tribeca was Wednesday,” Sanois said. “It was a little bit nerve-wracking, but what better way to get started than just getting thrown into it? Looking back at it, I'm happy that we did.”

As a talent relations and events intern, Sanois helps coordinate travel, manage logistics and assist on day-of tasks for events hosted by the streaming service HBO Max, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Other responsibilities include escorting celebrities along the red carpet, coordinating guest lists, researching venues and providing administrative support. She said it’s a dream come true.

“I love that WBD really gives interns the opportunity to experience all these things,” Sanois said. “That is what I love about this company and interning here.”

Opportunity has been a key ingredient in Sanois’ young career. Coming from a small high school in Queens, New York, she sought out the “classic college experience,” and Penn State was a natural choice, she said. When she started researching the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, she found the abundance of opportunities she was looking for.

Strategic creativity

When researching career choices, Sanois initially thought journalism was for her. Afterall, she said, she is a voracious reader who loves writing. She had also developed organizational skills through her involvement in several clubs in high school. It was her mother that suggested public relations.

“I wanted to elevate my passion for writing into something that was also more strategic,” she said. “My mom asked if I had considered public relations, but I really didn’t know what it was.”

It turned out that public relations blended Sanois’ creativity and organizational skills perfectly. She said she liked the idea of being part of “creative strategy.”

Sanois, who is also a Bellisario College Fellow and a peer mentor at the Bellisario College, joined Penn State Network Television her freshman year. She started as floor manager of the student-run program “Culture Central” and currently serves as its director of public relations and marketing.

“It’s all about spotlighting the stories of students of color on campus and celebrating all the diverse cultures we have here,” she said about “Culture Central.”

Sanois credits the show for helping her break out of her “shy, timid shell” and providing a community where she felt welcomed and encouraged to develop her skills. Sanois will participate in “Culture Central” her senior year, which she called a “full circle moment.”

“It was the first community I found at the Bellisario College,” she said. “I really appreciate how it has helped me grow and contribute.”

Friend and former classmate Jules Maluenda said Sanois is one the busiest friends she knows, but she handles the full schedule like a professional. The two met as members of CommAgency, the Bellisario College’s student-run advertising and marketing organization.

“Danielle handles everything with so much grace,” said Maluenda, a 2025 Bellisario College graduate and current assistant campaign manager at Blue Hour Studios. “She is organized and very hard working. You can really see how motivated she is.”

Working with CommAgency’s social media team, the friends created content for the Penn State All-Sports Museum, a CommAgency client. Maluenda and Sanois highlighted items from the University’s storied athletic past and celebrated current achievements through outlets like TikTok and Instagram.

“Our big project this year was unboxing the NCAA volleyball trophy from women's volleyball,” Maluenda said. “We worked together to find a good spot, film it and produce a really good video … and it did really, really well.”

The friendships, student clubs, communications classes and College-focused experiences were the building blocks that set Sanois up for her big opportunity back in New York City.

New York, New York

With a strategic approach, Sanois applied for her Warner Bros. Discovery internship through LinkedIn early in the semester. She followed the company, set alerts for when applications opened and identified a few positions that interested her and fit her skills. The interview process included recording a video and completing several Zoom meetings and interviews. She was offered the position with a June 2 start date.

According to Sanois, the highlight so far has been working the premiere of “F1,” a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem.

“The event was in the middle of Times Square and there were all these screaming fans,” she said. “I kind of felt a sense of power, because I had my staff credential and I was in the barricade.

“I could say that I work here,” she added. “Let me escort you down the red carpet.”

Ever the lover of new opportunities, Sanois said her supervisors have built an atmosphere for interns to try new things, ask questions and explore this unique side of the entertainment industry.

“They ask us what our goals are. What do we want to learn?” Sanois said. “They're super open to meeting you where you're at and helping you learn … Yes, we're helping them out, but they also want to help us as well."

The internship wraps up on Aug. 15. When Sanois gets back to Happy Valley for her senior year, she will continue her role with “Culture Central” and peer mentors. She is also participating in the American Advertising Federation competition — but she said she also hopes to slow down and take time to enjoy that “big college experience” one last time as a student.

“I want to be intentional with creating time to do important things,” she said. “There will be time to find a job, so I also want to find time to enjoy myself and enjoy Penn State.”