MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | JANUARY 2008
Antisha Anderson: ‘Look out for the smart ones’
Antisha Anderson is a member and chapter officer of the Greater Kansas City Professional Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications. She is a media planner for Bernstein-Rein Advertising.
by Krista Fritz Rogers
Surely Antisha Anderson drew on her grade school experiences in Beloit, Wis., to earn a spot in Kansas City's two-year AHEAD (Adele Hall Endowment for Advancement and Development) program sponsored by the Central Exchange and Adele Hall. As a third-grader, Antisha applied for and completed a round of interviews to earn a place in the Beloit Academy, a program that prepared talented girls for college and beyond. Third-graders? Latin? Who’s to say which application process was more grueling!
Oh, to be a fly on the wall with a precocious Antisha! That select group of girls rode the bus everyday to the Beloit College campus, where their academic studies included Latin and anthropology, and their TAs were college students.
With the Beloit experience behind her, it’s no surprise that AHEAD interviews saw the same—if not older—eager, high energy individual with a bright future.
Before high school was out, People to People International also liked what the saw. At 17, Antisha traveled to the United Kingdom as a student ambassador.
Today she’s a little humble, even shy about her early accomplishments, ducking her head and laughing. But she also notes, “We might have been the ‘talented’ kids…but the smart kids are the ones to watch out for.” There’s a hint of slyness behind that comment, as well.
Antisha graduated from Bradley University (Peoria, Ill.) with a bachelor of science in communication and a radio/television concentration. Her professional interests took root in high school. “The first thing was graphic design,” she says. “Then photography, but that felt limiting. Then I took a video class.” Then came a broadcast camp in Ohio, and that’s where it happened. “I fell in love, especially with editing. ‘This is what they gave me,’ and now I get to make something from it.”
Video production continues to be her passion. She produces some work on the side, doing weddings and other pieces. And she becomes so immersed in the production side, that it’s hard for her to watch television through amateur eyes. Thanks to college studies, she’s particularly analytical when it comes to commercials, especially on Super Bowl Sunday.
Acknowledging that many other people have encouraged and assisted her, Antisha is paying it forward through Young Women on the Move. The program is in place in four schools in Kansas City, Kan. “The program focuses on healthy living, leadership skills and motivational experiences,” she says.
Making an impact motivates her mentoring. “All it takes is one person to make a difference,” Antisha says. “There were people in my life who helped. I had a good head on my shoulders, but they still encouraged me to do more.”
Antisha’s professional resume includes customer service stints at Time Warner Cable and Farmer’s Insurance Group (she was a Catastrophe Claims Rep—there must be stories there). During college she worked as a production/sales specialist for CDSC Video Productions, gaining experience on video shoots, editing (“using linear and non-linear editing systems”).
In addition to her leadership role in Kansas City’s AWC chapter, her professional memberships include Women in Film & Television International (she’s working on a PSA for them) and Kansas City Ad Club.
On a personal note, Antisha is in wedding-planning mode. Her fiancé proposed last spring during a Caribbean cruise. The wedding videographer better be on his/her toes for this one.
So, Antisha, you say we have to watch out for the smart ones? Our eyes are glued on you!
Posted 1/4/08