From Attendee to Ambassador: My FUTURE NOW Journey
- Courtney Wilson
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
In seemingly no time, one year has passed between my first and second year attending FUTURE NOW’s annual Media and Entertainment Conference in NYC. I left my first conference in 2024 feeling both inspired and empowered, prompting me to want to share this experience with others. I began volunteering for FUTURE NOW as a Campus Ambassador, where I spent the past year sharing FUTURE NOW with students at my alma mater, Agnes Scott College. This involved communicating with a plethora of professors, student organizations, and individual students. I was so excited about FUTURE NOW that I also reached out to colleges in my hometown of Chicago.
The experience of representing FUTURE NOW made me incredibly excited for what was to come, and this year’s conference managed to exceed my already high expectations.
I made incredible connections with many entertainment professionals through the speed mentoring sessions and various panels featured in the conference and had an amazing time meeting other attendees. I also had the opportunity to attend three media tours at Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, and Hearst. All of the tours were incredibly insightful and inspiring, and as FUTURE NOW’s name suggests, painted the picture of what my soon-to-be future could look like.
The conference consisted of three days of nonstop education, where I gained incredible insights and established relationships with students and professionals alike. Some of my happiest memories from the conference are from just talking with my fellow students. I could finally meet in person my peers whom I had recruited to attend the conference, and I made friends with people with shared and differing career interests and passions.
This year’s conference epitomized connection. I shared many laughs, firm handshakes, LinkedIn QR codes, and memories with the other attendees—memories that will last a lifetime.
Similar to last year, this year’s welcoming reception for the conference was hosted at the Paramount headquarters in Times Square. Here, I felt that same feeling I had when I walked through those doors a year ago: inspiration. Walking the hallways decorated with iconic scenes from Paramount films and television shows was awe-inspiring. I was surrounded by pieces of media that shaped not just my upbringing but culture at large. I turned to the person next to me and said, “This is so affirming. This is where I’m meant to be.” I knew then that my dreams were not a long shot, my goals were not intangible or out of reach, but they are attainable and within my grasp.
Great article, Courtney. My experience was very similar to what you described, and just as impactful! I'm so grateful to have made so many new connections that are already beginning to blossom into deep and meaningful relationships. And I'm glad that your Future Now experiences have also been so positive and rewarding! I hope to see you there next year. 😄