June 22, 2018

When Alessia Porcari was a child growing up in Rome, Italy, she dreamed of one day working in American Television.  Always supportive, her parents and grandmother stood by her side fostering a sense that this little girl with big dreams could accomplish anything she set her sights on. Today, at age 25, while talking on the phone to her beloved “Nonna”, Alessia spouts out the details about her experiences on the set of ABC’s Good Morning America in New York. From meeting the artist behind the song that got her through some tough times as a teenager, Jessie J., to writing the very Italian segment titled, “Pay It Forward Gelato”, this young lady is not only living out her dreams – she’s proving her parents and Nonna right. Through hard work, a clear focus and a solid education, Alessia Porcari is paving her own way in the American Television Industry.

Porcari is a student in the Drexel University Paul F. Harron Graduate Program in Television Management. She’s proven herself as a utility player and leader during internship stents in Philadelphia, where Drexel University is located, and has worked her way up to the top media market in the U.S. Porcari, who was raised to be a humble, hard worker, is quick to credit Drexel’s Television Management Program for her success. “The Television Management Program at Drexel University taught me the business side of the television industry,” said Porcari. She added, “I learned so much about aspects of the industry that set me apart from other interns.”

Porcari’s professors at Drexel are quick to shift the credit to Porcari. “She’s one of the hardest working students to walk down these halls,” said Professor Al Tedesco, who leads the Television Management Graduate Program. “While our faculty and staff have created an environment of networking and opportunity, Alessia took that ball and ran. Her success is a combination of the skills she learned in the Television Management Program and her own tenacity and attention to detail,” he added.

The Good Morning America team has noticed that attention to detail and hard work. Porcari is not just an intern. She’s proven herself as a segment producer, videographer, still photographer, and all-around team player. “I find, pitch and write entertainment and public interest stories as well as come up with celebrity interview ideas,” said Porcari. But it doesn’t stop there. The young television all-star assists in segment production, leading in-depth background research on guests and topics, and discovering and booking audience members for live, in-studio and remote segments. She also works with ABC’s digital team, taking photos throughout the show, during interviews and live performances. ABC shares those photographs on the network’s various social media platforms, which have more than one million followers each.

Outside of Drexel University’s Television Management Graduate Program, Porcari has quickly learned that the “television family” is tight-knit. “I have met so many people who have positively impacted my life,” said Porcari. “Robin Roberts is one of those people who has been through so much in her life, and she still has the biggest heart for people. She can always tell if something is bothering me, and she always has words of encouragement,” added Porcari. “When I was worrying about not being able to stay in the U.S., she told me something that will stay with me forever. ‘God’s delays are not his denials.’ That has really stuck with me and will be advice I will draw on throughout my career.”

Of course, other members of Porcari’s television family have proven to be huge supporters as well, and Porcari is grateful for each one of them. “I’m extremely fortunate to be surrounded by solid professionals who are still willing to take time to teach me,” said Porcari. “I’m grateful to everyone who has trusted me and helped me increase my skillset.”

After completing her work at Good Morning America this summer, Porcari will move back to Rome to further pursue her television career there. While she’s happy to be closer to her beloved Nonna and other family, Porcari knows she’ll be back in America one day soon. “Drexel’s Television Management Graduate Program has opened networking doors for me that will never close,” said Porcari. “I know it’s just a matter of time before I’m back in the studio in New York or another large market in the U.S.”

For more information about the Paul F. Harron Graduate Program at Drexel University, visit the Television Management website or contact Al Tedesco, Program Director, at ast33@drexel.edu.