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Selena Shannon
Selena Shannon
01:24

Selena Shannon

United Talent Agency

Studio City, CA USA

"Keep getting up and keep striving for what you want. Stick to your purpose."

Career Roadmap

Selena's work combines: Business, Film, and Working with Others

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Day In The Life

Inclusion and HR Assistant

I work to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to a large entertainment industry.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Film and Television Production

    Loyola Marymount University

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    Growing up, I was a very artistic and creative child—I was very involved in performing arts.

  • 2.

    In high school, I was frustrated with being typecast and was struggling to figure out where I fit in, until a teacher gave me an opportunity to take a film class and create my own story.

  • 3.

    I was inspired by that experience, and decided to study film and television production at Loyola Marymount University.

  • 4.

    While in college, I was very involved with Black inclusion initiatives and groups, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and Sisters in Solidarity.

  • 5.

    After graduating, I took a lot of temporary jobs in order to feel out the industry and get a better understanding of what felt right to me.

  • 6.

    As I gained work experience, I made it a point to seek out opportunities in the HR and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) spaces.

  • 7.

    I currently work as an inclusion and HR assistant at United Talent Agency, which combines my DEI work with my interest in entertainment.

  • 8.

    I’m also pursuing a master’s degree in human resource management because I want to make sure I’m a well-rounded individual in this profession.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Teachers:

    You need to follow the standard format on this project.

  • How I responded:

    In one of my film classes, my teacher gave me a project and expected me to follow the standard guidelines, which wouldn't leave any room for diversity and different perspectives. I decided to flip the project and proceed in a more inclusive way. If something isn't right, don't be afraid to question it. There will always be room to grow and improve standards.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I have hearing loss, which made it really difficult to pass my recording classes in college. I didn't want to tell my professors because I'm a perfectionist. I eventually realized that it's okay to ask for help when you need it.

  • While working as an RA in college, one of my students passed away. It hit me hard and I shut down. I stopped taking care of myself and ended up being fired as an RA. I got counseling to help me out of that low point.