Through the Student Lens – Experiential learning from day one

Elias Stevens ’25 
Hometown: Newark, NJ
Major: Film & New Media Studies

How can students maximize Wheaton’s approach to experiential learning? Check out how one creative and skilled film and new media student creates community while offering many a chance in the spotlight as you take a look “Through the Student Lens.”

What inspired you to study film and new media and why did you choose Wheaton?

Photography was my first love, so video and film were a natural progression. I’m blessedly a Posse scholar, and Wheaton is a partner school. But more than just that, Wheaton prioritizes experiential learning, so it was my top choice. As someone who struggles with sitting in classrooms, reading and writing, that immediately drew my attention. And on the back end of my college career, I can happily say Wheaton held up their end of the bargain. I still sit in classrooms, but my amazing professors make it so worth it.

What experiential learning opportunities have you had right on campus and how have they impacted you and those in the campus community?

Honestly, so many. I am so, so grateful for all of them. 

The day I moved in as a first-year, I applied for a social media ambassador in Marketing & Communications (Marcom) and have held that position ever since. In this role, I’ve made an ice sculpture, melted my face off with the dean of students eating hot wings, jumped in Peacock Pond, and shot an ad that played in New York’s Times Square.

I’d like to think the work I do in Marcom helps bring my community together, and gives people at Wheaton a moment in the spotlight.

I’ve also shot several films on campus for classes. My most recent short film, Like Me, is currently making its way around the film festival circuit. (Shout out President Whelan for letting my team and I film in her house!) The three, 8-hour shoot days were made possible by my campus connections and friends rallying around me, especially JP Tehomilic ’26. Now that short film gets to speak to the work we do at Wheaton at places like the DC Black Film Festival, the Boston Independent Film Festival, the Newark International Film Festival, and the Roxbury International Film Festival.

What is your favorite part about working with Wheaton’s Advancement and Marketing Communications teams? And how would you say your work with them has contributed to the college’s efforts to encourage a culture of philanthropy and promote the Wheaton brand?

Alumni Relations is within the Advancement Division, and it is comprised of wonderful people like Marco Barbone ‘09 who took a chance on me three years ago. After I took a (poorly lit) headshot of him for my job in Marcom, we got to talking, and next thing I knew I was the primary photographer for the Alumni Reunion. I have photographed that weekend for three years now—the past two with Ajahni Jackson ‘25, and I can say it is genuinely one of my favorite times on campus.

I don’t always have a philanthropic agenda in my mind when working a photography job at Wheaton. But, I know that encouraging philanthropy is a goal of the college. Here, Wheaton becomes your stomping grounds for four years. Ideally, you will find yourself in a position where you can give back to it, that way the college can continue to be a platform for upcoming generations. 

My favorite part of Alumni Relations and Marcom is the rooms they put me in, and the people they connect me with. Alumni are so eager to meet students, and I am so eager to meet them! Ryan Letada ‘08 Posse 5, member of the Board of Trustees, is one I’ve especially connected with. He has shared his precious knowledge on business management and I know he truly meant it when he said he’s my “cheerleader.” 

I think connecting with alumni who are off doing great things is how we remind them that Wheaton is overflowing with potential—and that they can help fuel it. The “Wheaton brand” is us. You, me, my friends, my professors. The campus is gorgeous and the graphic design is sleek. But, if all of that went away, we would still be here. So, the Wheaton culture is a beautiful thing.

Can you tell us about your company and describe the biggest challenges you face in balancing your academic workload with your professional work?

ESO Media – Ever So Original – is a freelance photography and videography company. We create fresh, unique content that lasts. The team includes Ajahni Jackson ‘25, our student body president this year, Jordan Wilson ‘24 and JP Tehomilic ‘26.

ESO was once a mere napkin drawing in high school, and now it is growing at a level that is sometimes difficult to keep up with. We love the company, the clients we serve, the work we do, but we’re still students! We run clubs on campus, we study abroad, we hang out with friends, we do homework. It’s tough sometimes to prioritize academic work over a deadline to deliver a gallery to clients. I’m also still learning how to actually run a business—I don’t think of myself as an entrepreneur as much as I do an artist, but in this field, you can’t be one without the other.

In what ways has Wheaton supported your film and new media projects and how do you think the college has played a role in your success?

Professor Patrick Johnson, the head of the film and new media studies department (FNMS), has gone above and beyond to uplift me—Me, some kid from Newark, who wants to tell stories about obsessive swimmers, dysfunctional bands, social mobility in the black community, biracial children grappling with religion and spirituality, struggles in Madagascar to balance biodiversity and human development—I value his honest feedback and relentless bolstering so much.

My two recent projects would not have been possible without opportunities available to me here at Wheaton. Like Me was created in my Production II class, shot on campus, using pretty much all of the gear in the FNMS production studio. I appreciate the department’s belief in its students. I have never been shut down—I’ve been mentored and enlightened.

Additionally, Madagascar: A Chance for Change is a short documentary that I created (and just finished!) in the summer of 2023 as the Filmmaker-In-Residence on a faculty-led study abroad trip. With the help of Charlotte Gedraitis ‘25, Katie Pollock ‘24, Professor Knowlton, and Professor Westfall, we raised awareness and emphasized the importance of the valuable and fragile balance of biodiversity and humanity in Madagascar. (View photos from Madagascar on ESO here.)

What’s next? My thesis film, Dubaku Brothers. While studying abroad in Athens, Greece this semester at the American College of Greece, I will finish my script and pre-production for the project. Then in the spring semester back at Wheat, I’ll shoot the short! Its success will depend on my community here once more, as well as grants and crowdfunding. The Wheaton Edge has also been a great help in funding this project, and the time it has taken me this summer to prepare for its execution.



Elias is just one of the many engaging students here at Wheaton. As parents, guardians, and families you are an integral part of our community. “Through the Student Lens” brings the campus to you, as seen through the eyes of our students, the many roles they play and the experiences they gain during their time here at Wheaton.

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