"No Film Background" to Director: How Community at DO! Turned Skill Gaps into a Career Launch



Creation Date: 10/06/2025


Name: Daniel Tolbert
Career Pathway: Arts, A/V Technology and Communications
Location of Service: 60645-1142
Program: DHS - Youth Program for Employment & Education
Organization: Phalanx Family Services

Program Details



When I first started my Destiny Outreach Internship I was stepping outside my comfort zone since I didn’t have any real background in film. But after the first day of me being there I really felt like I was a part of a community instead of a business. Since my mentors, and colleagues had such a close relationship, I always felt important and more comfortable to reach out and ask questions. Even when I was sick I would have multiple people reaching out to me making sure that I was okay. This really made me realize how intimate the film industry truly is and because of the family that I found in Destiny Outreach. I came into this Internship thinking that I would learn how to take good photos and left the internship as a director of (short film) and a video editor. I have so many paths that have opened up to me and I’m really excited to see where life takes me.