productions department had a direct impact on my love for putting on a show, he admitted. “Additionally, the speech class I took in seventh grade opened my eyes to this fact and gave me the confidence to perform and take ownership in my ideas.” Beyond participating in USchool’s arts programs, Ilagan appreciated that his teachers always encouraged him to think and present in a creative way. “A lot of how I’ve collaborated with producers had its roots in what I did at NSU University School,” he said. HARVARD PROVIDES INSPIRATION Before starting his senior year at USchool, Ilagan participated in a summer school program at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he took a class in comedy writing and screenwriting— even though he still wasn’t sure a TV career was in his future. “During that summer, I fell in love with the Harvard campus and the general vibe of Cambridge, so I decided to apply there,” he recalled. When Ilagan began attending Harvard, it didn’t have a formal television department, so he decided to major in economics as a safety-net option. Fortuitously, during freshman orien- tation, a number of student organizations had signup tables, including HRTV—the student- run TV production organization. Intrigued, Ilagan talked to the student rep, who told him the station was looking to launch a game show. To no one’s surprise, Ilagan instantly signed on as a producer. “While we were auditioning hosts, I showed the auditionees what we were looking for,” he explained. “After a few okay auditions, the faculty adviser said, ‘Mandel, you’re so good at this already. Why don’t you do it?’ So, that led to me being the producer and host of the Harvard game show for my entire four years at college.” CLIMBING THE LADDER After graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics—and with his commitment to pursuing a TV career solidified—Ilagan headed west to California, where he landed his first job in Los Angeles as a page at CBS Television City. The position, although far from glamorous, proved to be an important entrée to future success. “It was essentially a mix of being an usher at the various shows “A lot of how I’ve collaborated with producers had its roots in what I did at NSU University School.”
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