By Jefferson Geiger
Christina Brunetti ’14 is constantly searching for top talent thanks to Wagner College.
A senior recruiter at The Walt Disney Co., the 31-year-old from Brooklyn credits her success to attending the Staten Island institution.
“Wagner alumni are so willing to help and are so excited to genuinely support other alumni,” Brunetti said. “I definitely found Wagner people were very supportive with my career and networking.”
Brunetti picked Wagner to stay in New York and major in arts administration, continuing her studies from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She interned at places like MTV and completed a full-time internship with CBS doing casting for its primetime shows.
“I realized that maybe wasn't the specific path I wanted to take, but I definitely wanted to remain within that industry,” said Brunetti, who is approaching her ninth year at Disney in New York. “All that hands-on experience helped me develop professionally and feel prepared.”
Her love of New York doesn’t mean Brunetti has stayed in the state the entire time, however. Attending Wagner gave Brunetti opportunities to travel the world. She visited Germany and Austria as an alto in the college’s choir, studied abroad in Rome and took a business class in Hawaii as part of the Expanding Your Horizons program.
Brunetti primarily works to hire talent for ABC News in New York, in addition to local ABC stations in places such as Houston and Raleigh, and National Geographic. A highlight of her job, she says, has been recruiting for “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” “Nightline” and “World News Tonight.”
“It’s been incredible to hire for shows that I grew up watching and have always admired,” Brunetti said.
Brunetti works to inspire future Wagner alums, going to as many alumni events as possible. She has also participated in two Lunch and Learns hosted by the Women’s Professional Network. One event had the students visit Brunetti at the ABC office. She is also Da Vinci Society scholar, and frequently attends yearly receptions to raise money for the organization.
“That scholarship was a huge reason why I was able to go to Wagner,” Brunetti said. “Because of that, I’m so grateful for my experience and I always make sure to give back. It's a fantastic program that allows a lot of people to have the opportunity to go to Wagner who maybe couldn't otherwise.”
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