UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television

Chance to Excel in partnership with UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television (TFT) supports bringing students together in safe, inclusive spaces to ensure their success.

Overwhelming student engagement since 2024 demonstrates clear demand for these wellness opportunities. Students actively participated in programming while also utilizing spaces simply to exist, relax, and work in a supportive environment.

Chance to Excel supports TFT’s goal of expanding the TFT Wellness Center into a true home away from home for students—a place where they feel included, supported, and equipped with the skills to enhance their personal well-being, academic success, and career readiness.

Our collaboration supports:

Expanding programming to meet the specific needs of TFT students.
Offering more regular, dependable community-building events and workshops.
Strengthening partnerships with campus resource providers.
Creating an accessible space for students to find resources, comfort, and care.
Bridging the gap between academic preparation and career success, addressing professional
readiness as wellness through connection with alumni and industry leaders.

Together, we support the goal of taking wellness beyond a series of events and make it part of every student’s journey at TFT!

Wellness Programming

Community Building
Through gatherings like the Pop-Up Lounge, Community Connection, and Finals Fuel Up, TFT Wellness fosters friendship, relaxation,
and a sense of belonging by creating welcoming spaces for students to connect, recharge, and share experiences together.

Academic Success

With resources like the Study Den and TFTea Time with Academic Advisors, TFT Wellness supports students’ academic journeys by offering calm study environments during high-stress periods and opportunities to build strong relationships with advisors early in the year.

Creative Flow
To enhance creativity, mental resilience, and physical wellness, students can join a variety of yoga, mediation, and breathing technique classes. Exclusive to TFT and hosted in Wellness Center, this space for grounding and relaxation is accessible in weekly sessions scheduled around the demands
of TFT programs.

Career Readiness
Professional Pathways – a day of development opportunities designed to prepare students for careers in the entertainment industry. This program will connect students with alumni and industry leaders, offering valuable mentorship and networking opportunities to help them succeed in a rapidly changing landscape.

A message from Sam O’Harra (they/she), TFT Student Wellness Coordinator:

We are so grateful for your generosity and are glad to share a fuller picture of the impact your support has helped make possible at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

As you may know, gifts of this kind often move through institutional processes before they reach the program level, and we are grateful that your contribution was received by our office last November (2025). From there, your support has gone toward sustaining and expanding key wellness offerings for our students. Between November and now, we have hosted six Community Connection events averaging 60 attendees each. These gatherings, alongside our ongoing yoga classes, themed wellness spaces, and career development programming in partnership with the UCLA Career Center, represent the kind of consistent, accessible community-building that your gift helps make possible.

Nothing captures the impact better than the words of our students themselves:

“TFT Wellness gave me wonderful events to look forward to in finals week and a place to make memories with friends.”

— Summer Schaeffer, 1st-year Theater undergrad

“TFT Wellness has birthed a third space here at TFT. It is one of the loveliest places to hang with friends and build connections.”

— Sammy Andrute-Muyen, 1st-year Theater undergrad

“TFT Wellness is a breath of fresh air and provides such a comfortable space to rest. I deeply appreciate this initiative.”

— Maisie McPeek, 4th-year Theater undergrad

“The TFT Wellness Center has been such an important part of my adjustment to UCLA and the pace of production at TFT. Without it, I would have struggled much more in making friends and finding a space to decompress.”

— Victoria Atilano, 1st-year transfer, Theater undergrad

“Having access to a space like the TFT Wellness Center gives us an important break from time spent working on projects. It’s a reminder to catch our breath and spend time outside of editing bays”

—Nova Gutierrez, 2nd-year Film MFA

Perhaps the most exciting programmatic development this cycle has been the launch of CREW CALL, our new student leadership and wellness ambassador program. CREW CALL drew over 25 applicants, a remarkable response for a brand-new initiative, and we selected 10 exceptional student ambassadors to lead programming and outreach alongside our professional staff. Thanks to their dedication, the TFT Wellness Center has expanded from approximately 8 hours of open, staffed access per week to 20 hours, more than doubling availability for students who need a space to connect, decompress, and find support. Since expanding our hours, the Center now serves around 10 students a day, if not more, reflecting a real and growing need within our community.

CREW CALL ambassadors are also in the early stages of planning professionalization events to help students build the communication and industry-readiness skills they will carry throughout their careers. I am especially excited about the Career Pathways Summit CREW CALL is organizing for later this spring.

None of this would be possible without your belief in the well-being of our students. Thank you for investing in a community where emerging artists and storytellers can thrive, not just creatively, but as whole people.”

Wellness Programming

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