Berkeley High School Alum Selected "Future Leader" by Television Academy Foundation

Berkeley High School alumnus Daniel Finis Perez has been selected for the prestigious Television Academy Foundation Internship program. He is one of 40 students chosen by Television Academy members from across the country for the 2026 Summer Internship program. The Foundation offers paid internships at top Hollywood studios and production companies annually to college students nationwide.

Additionally, Perez was chosen for the prestigious Bob Bennett Future Leaders program. He is one of just 10 students selected amongst the Foundation's 2026 summer interns for the initiative. The Bob Bennett Future Leaders program, established by a gift from the Robert M. & Marjie A. Bennett Foundation, provides financial support for interns as well as professional development and leadership training.

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Perez is a rising senior at San Francisco State University majoring in broadcast and electronic communications arts. He will be an intern this summer in the sound department at Signature Post, an audio post production facility in Los Angeles through the Foundation's program.

"I'm truly blessed and honored to be selected for the Television Academy Foundation Internship program," said Perez. "It's an exhilarating feeling knowing that I was chosen by the same professionals whose work continues to shape and elevate the entertainment industry, and being recognized by them gives me an even greater sense of gratitude and motivation as I pursue a career in this field.

"What excites me most about this internship is the opportunity to learn directly from the professionals working in sound, gaining hands-on experience alongside them, and experiencing the creative process firsthand," said Perez. "I'm also looking forward to building meaningful relationships with both my coworkers and fellow interns.

"What inspires me most about television is its ability to connect people through storytelling, and the single aspect that interested me most was sound," continued Perez. "The way music, dialogue and sound effects come together to heighten emotion and deepen what we see on screen is often overlooked. I found a deeper appreciation for this in my professor Bill Wolter's Sound for Film class where I learned how much work goes into even a single minute of a scene. That experience gave me a lasting respect for the craft of sound, and I haven't looked at storytelling the same way since. I hope to contribute to stories through sound in a way that moves and connects with audiences the same way television has always moved me."

Perez is from Berkeley, California.

The Television Academy Foundation shapes the art of creating television by engaging and educating the next generation of television professionals, providing essential resources that help them discover their voices, refine their skills and forge rewarding careers in every sector of the television industry. The Internship program provides over 50 students from across the nation with hands-on work experience and networking opportunities for accelerated career development in more than 30 disciplines annually.