{"id":216850,"date":"2026-03-31T13:26:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T17:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/?p=216850"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:26:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T17:26:53","slug":"a-fast-track-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/2026\/03\/31\/a-fast-track-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fast Track to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chloe Swift \u201922 knew early on \u2013 by her sophomore year in high school! \u2013 that she wanted a career in television and journalism. And she wasted no time pursuing her goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the studio production and broadcasting program at Cumberland County Technical Education Center,\u201d Swift explains. \u201cFrom the time I started high school I was exposed to television, content creation, scripting and anchoring.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also participated in the school\u2019s Early College High School program, which allowed her to complete an associate degree alongside a high school diploma. She was especially eager to find a college that had a strong television program, and that would accept the degree credits she had already worked so hard to earn.<\/p>\n

\u201cMontclair checked every box,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Swift transferred her entire degree, which left only two years to complete her bachelor\u2019s. \u201cThe first year was remote due to the pandemic,\u201d she says. \u201cIn my final year I was able to live on campus, in the Heights. I really enjoyed the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building Skills and Community at Montclair<\/b><\/h3>\n

Even though Swift began college with a foundational knowledge of television production, she found that her Montclair classes pushed her to a higher level of expertise and excellence. \u201cThe expectations were high,\u201d she says of her professors. \u201cThey treated us like professionals, which helped me build the confidence I would need going into the industry at such a young age. They saw my potential and encouraged me to embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swift was keeping pace with her classmates, but she was keenly aware of the age gap. \u201cThe other students were three and four years older than me,\u201d she says. \u201cThe age difference made it hard to socialize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joining Sigma Delta Phi helped. \u201cThe sorority made it easier to meet people my own age,\u201d Swift says. \u201cI\u2019m still in touch with several of my sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Honors Program, now called the John Martinson Honors EDGE Program, further strengthened her Montclair education. \u201cI was very intentional in applying to this program, which included a framework of seminar-based interdisciplinary courses,\u201d she points out. \u201cI wanted to be in an advanced learning setting with like-minded students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Internships provided additional preparation for professional roles. She worked as a production assistant for Montclair Film and provided content for the launch of Hawk+<\/a>, Montclair\u2019s streaming service.<\/p>\n

Swift\u2019s brother Parker, who graduated from Montclair in 2024, was paying close attention to his sister\u2019s progress. \u201cBecause Chloe was already a student, I could get a firsthand look at the program,\u201d he says. \u201cI realized pretty quickly that Montclair\u2019s facilities stand out from the rest. I also saw how welcoming the professors are. On top of that, seeing Chloe succeed while freelancing in the Montclair area showed me how well the program prepares students for real-world opportunities. Her confidence and skills made it clear that Montclair would be the right place for me to continue my journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

From Freelance Work to National Broadcast Production<\/b><\/h3>\n

After completing her degree in Television Production, Swift built experience through a variety of freelance assignments with clients including the Episcopal Church of St. James in Montclair and Through The Lens Studios. Still, she wanted to be part of an ongoing team.<\/p>\n

One of her Montclair professors reached out to her with an associate video producer opportunity at the Daily Racing Form, the news and data source for thoroughbred horse racing enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

Fun fact: Swift\u2019s parents fell in love at Saratoga Race Course, poring over the Daily Racing Form. \u201cMy dad used to take me to the races in Atlantic City when I was little,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can imagine how excited they were when I told them I was going to work there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an extremely fun job,\u201d she continues. \u201cI got to travel around the country for many of the big races \u2013 the Breeders\u2019 Cup, Belmont, Preakness. It was a great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she moved to Philadelphia, however, commuting to New York City was not sustainable. Once again, one of her Montclair contacts came through with a recommendation. This time, it would be for an associate producer role with the Caucus Educational Corporation (CEC), the nonprofit multimedia production company led by Steve Adubato, PhD, who graduated from Montclair in 1980.<\/p>\n

Not too long after, Swift was named senior producer for One-on One with Steve Adubato, the CEC\u2019s nightly interview program. \u201cI get to meet so many fascinating people,\u201d she says. \u201cAuthors, actors, advocates, and athletes \u2013 people who are making a difference in New Jersey\u2019s communities. It is very inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2025, Swift was able to return to Montclair in a professional capacity to produce a two-part program of Think Tank with Steve Adubato. \u201cIn the specials, Steve and President Koppell<\/a> talked about the future of broadcasting, the value of a college education, campus safety and the role of universities in society,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was a great program, and the audience was fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photograph<\/figure>\n

Giving Back Through Education and Mentorship<\/b><\/h3>\n

Swift has begun her own journey as a change-maker as a member of the Cumberland County Technical Education Center Foundation board. \u201cEducation is important to me,\u201d she says. \u201cCumberland is the poorest county in New Jersey; opportunities are not always accessible. As scholarship chair I organize and help distribute awards that change the trajectory of students\u2019 lives. I hope to continue cultivating education in the future, perhaps as a professor or mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also looks forward to staying connected to her alma mater. \u201cParker and I are really lucky to be Montclair grads,\u201d Swift adds. \u201cI mean, just look at the value you get \u2013 and when you put in the work, you get even more. I encourage students to talk to every single one of their professors. Reach out to the career and internship professionals on campus. And don\u2019t forget to cultivate relationships with the community around you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chloe Swift \u201922 wasted no time launching her career in television production. Only 19 when she completed her Montclair degree, she has already achieved a dream job in her field: senior producer of One-on-One with Steve Adubato. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":493,"featured_media":216854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-216850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-77_alumni-spotlight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/493"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216850"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":216883,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216850\/revisions\/216883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}