In the halls of Glen Rock, Broadcast Media teacher Jenna Vrablic is a mentor to many, a soundboard for creative ideas, and an incredibly dedicated educator. Nestled in the library: cameras, microphones, and computers line her classroom-turned-studio, waiting for students to bring their movie ambitions to life. While we know her as our beloved teacher, the path that led Vrablic to teaching was unorthodox, as she started in media production.
Reflecting on her journey, Vrablic recalled that she hadn’t always dreamed of teaching. In fact, Vrablic’s original desire to work in the entertainment industry started at a young age: “I was always a performer, so I danced from 8 to 18. I always knew I wanted to be in entertainment.”
For most students, high school is about capitalizing on social events. But for Vrablic, it was about reaching her ultimate goal of immersing herself in the media world. “When other students were kind of focused on being in high school, I couldn’t wait to get to my end goal. Everything for me was eat, sleep, and breathe the entertainment industry. And it was like, there were parties that all my friends went to and I purposely didn’t go because I was like, is this going to get me where I need to be?”
One of Vrablic’s core high school memories is when she had the opportunity to interview Republican candidate Bob Dole when he was running for president: “[My dad] was a truck driver and he was working night shifts. And he came home early and he got me up and we were out with the camera. We went to Bendix Diner, and I interviewed him [Bob Dole] and that was really good for my reel.”
After high school, Vrablic attended NYU, majoring in Communication: Arts, TV, Film & Radio Production at the Tisch School of Arts. Vrablic puts it simply: “I was miserable.” She visited her friends who attended NYIT and decided to transfer. NYIT opened doors for Vrablic, allowing her to work in the industry through many internships and externships.
While she was interning for UPN 9 during her college career, Vrablic learned to have an “always say yes” mentality. She recalls witnessing her peers complain about doing menial tasks, preferring to have fancy assistant positions, and complaining about being assigned to deliver mail or pick up coffee. Vrablic decided that she would agree to deliver mail, in an attempt to make a lasting impression. “I felt like if I looked [the anchors] in the eye, they’re gonna remember me.”
Emmy Award-winning television news anchor and reporter Cora Ann Mihalik worked in the same office as Vrablic. Vrablic made sure that Mihalik would remember her by performing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” when delivering her mail. This stunt impressed Mihalik so much that she landed the role of associate producer on the next project. Later on, Mihalik would help Vrablic with her final project for a broadcast journalism class. Vrablic’s advice to high school students is to follow her lead and say yes to any opportunity that arises.
Straight after earning her Bachelor’s degree in May 2001, Vrablic hit the ground running and landed her first job that same month at AMC Networks. Vrablic started taking on more complex projects as her career progressed. After years of working in production, Vrablic began to gain traction in the world of Reality TV, requiring longer hours and dedication.
“You can get burnt out easily in the media industry,” mentioned Ms. Vrablic, recalling her time working on a talk show for Warner Brothers. As Vrablic was walking out of the office, the producers of the show came running down to stop her: “They’re like, Anna Nicole Smith died and so I called and told my husband at the time and my two kids like, I’m not going to be home…We had to pull the show that was set to air… We even worked into the night and had the host of the show there and stuff. So after a while, it takes a toll.”
Eventually, Vrablic knew that she needed to choose her career. “I just felt like I never wanted to leave the industry. But at the same time, too I want to be able to watch my kids grow and also have my own business grow,” she reflected. It was time for her to leave production full-time, and start teaching.
With an impressive resume that includes the Dr. Oz Show and The Food Network, Vrablic incorporates her real-life experience in the industry in her teaching. With her guidance, students learn to operate cameras, edit videos with Adobe Premiere, write scripts for different segments, and produce high-quality projects. Additionally, Vrablic has a production company and is currently working on an independent film with actor Joe Barbara.
Today, she gets to explore both her passions, serving both as an advisor and a creative. “As far as I’m concerned. I’m still in the industry. I’ve just got the best of both worlds. I get to hang out with you awesome kids and still, you know, do my thing,” Vrablic stated.
