EMST Major Eniola Badejo earns summer internship with IRTS

Eniola Badejo, a third-year Entertainment and Media Studies and Marketing double-major with a minor in Spanish from Cobb County, Georgia, earns summer internship with the IRTS Summer Fellowship Program. 

This summer, Badejo will be returning to New York City to work as a sponsorship strategy intern at NBCUniversal on end-to-end activations for brand partnerships concerning the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Love Island 2026 and the U.S. Open. Last summer as a member of the Grady New York program, Badejo interned on the streaming and data products planning team working on advertising campaigns for huge companies like Depop and Peacock’s Love Island.

The IRTS Summer Fellowship Program is a 9-week all-expense-paid experience that allows participants to gain a comprehensive understanding of the media industry, enhance their professional skills and develop their network, all while interning during June and July at a top media company in New York City. 

Background

Badejo has an extensive background pursuing high achievements and pushing himself to explore opportunities beyond expectations. Badejo graduated high school as student body president, also earning a seal of biliteracy in Spanish and becoming the Georgia Poet Laureate prize winner in 2024 for his original poem “Right Here”. Entering his freshman year, Badejo became a CURO Scholar, received the UGA NAACP Outstanding First-Year Award and was honored as a Woodruff Scholar. Later on, Badejo went on to become the first Black male winner of the Fuqua School of Business New Ideas Competition by Duke University in 2025, pitching his idea “quCAPTHCA”, a civic tech concept that reimagines CAPTCHA tests as micro interventions for digital literacy.

Throughout his time at UGA, Badejo has only gained momentum and continued to strive for greatness in the workplace, not just academia. Badejo has worked at Fortune 500 companies across a plethora of industries such as Bain and Company where he worked as a BEL consulting intern. On campus, Badejo served as project manager of UGA’s Marriage Pact and currently serves as director of campus outreach for the Student Government Association and a Grady College Ambassador.

Personal achievements and motivations 

I have always felt a lot of potential which was instilled in me through my Nigerian parents, as I am a first generation Nigerian-American. Being Nigerian carries the weight of expectation. In the journey of pursing expectations, I accomplished some amazing things.  

Growth at NBCU 

Working at NBCUniversal showed me the importance of doing the work you enjoy and learning how people work in the real world. It also reinforced the selection of my major, marketing, because of how amazing it was and the importance I discovered in doing work that is interesting to oneself.

Career direction currently

I’m currently focused on the intersection of media and technology through brand marketing, with a particular interest in product and in-person activations. I love the idea of creating something people can actually experience out of digital strategy. 

What are your strengths and how do you use them?

My strengths are being very focused and deliberate with how I spend my time. I am very good at prioritizing even when there are tasks I don’t feel like doing. 

How do you define success?

I define success by  tangible impact; I feel as if I left my mark instead of simply being someone that was an agent to other people making their mark, this is important. 

What is your favorite quote?

“To whom much is given, much is required.”  

Who or what has had the most impact on your academic and professional life?

Trey Wilson (SGA President elect) and Andre Akinyemi (founder of Keystone Fellowship, Student Industry Fellow and Terry 2026 student of the year finalist) because they poured so much professional advice into me that I would have never known about college culture, resume work and interview prep for big Fortune 500 companies and more. They have taken this professional advice into an organization called Keystone which is built and inspired by creating and giving back. 

How would you compare Eniola today to the Eniola who first came to UGA?

The difference is I am more content, more ambitious, and full of creative exploration. Right now I am more comfortable with leaning into and creating experiences that I enjoy and feel good to me, letting opportunity follow. 

What has been your personal experience as a successful IRTS applicant and ways someone can be successful?

What excites me most about IRTS is the network. I’m looking forward to being surrounded by ambitious peers who are doing awesome things at companies like HBO and Bloomberg. These are the kinds of relationships that influence how you grow in this industry! 

To be a strong IRTS applicant, you have to be proactive. I didn’t just apply to IRTS and then wait for a response; I was actively recruiting, applying and having coffee chats across the industry. IRTS reached out to me because I had secured an internship with NBCUniversal, not the other way around. This is the kind of opportunity that comes after you create your own momentum. 

Author: Anyi Morfaw, abm40431@uga.edu