For students in the school of Theatre and Dance pursuing a major in design and technology, internships and first-hand experience are just as important as they are to all other majors. Lucky for many of these students, there is a man named Tracy Nunnally on their side.

Nunnally teaches eight classes for students of all ages, focusing on the many aspects of production when it comes to the theater. Students pursuing a degree in design and technology learn about everything from creating sets to lighting to flying people across the stage through the air.

During the summer, many of Nunnally’s students take what they learn throughout the year with them to serve internships all over the country at summer stock theaters. These types of playhouses are generally open only during the summer and often hire college students to help with production.

When it comes to filling these internships, Nunnally said NIU’s technical theater students have built quite a name for themselves over the past few years.

“Most of our people are invited, usually by March. It’s like the draft picks in the NFL or NBA,” Nunnally said. “One of my undergrads had four positions to pick from, and they were all jockeying for her.”

Students understand the importance of these internships and the opportunity they can provide.

“I have learned more than I could have ever imagined and gained a lot of confidence in my skills while here,” said Melissa Cozza, a senior theatre arts design and technology major.

“In theater, the best way to learn is to jump into the professional theatrical world and just do it. This job has also helped me guide a path for my career, because it showed me that I really want to pursue special effects in rigging and puppetry,” Cozza said.

The most important aspect of these internships is the experience and practice students will get working with new people in new situations to get a job done.

“I tell them that, up to a point, your technical expertise isn’t what will make or break the position,” Nunnally said. “What will make or break the position is how well you get along with others. These are the people who are going to get asked back.”

This summer, there are NIU students working in Utah, New York, California and Florida, among others. Along with the invaluable first-hand experience the internships provide, they also create excellent professional references for students’ resumes.

One thing at least two students can agree on is the role Tracy Nunnally played and continues to play in their educational careers. Both Cozza and Heather Stayton, a junior design and technology major, agree that Nunnally has been a great teacher who makes himself readily available to students, even giving out his cell phone number.

“The wonderful thing about the man is that he knows how to explain information on various levels, whether you are the smartest person in the room or not,” Cozza said.