Student Highlight : Nichols Heads to Hollywood for Summer Internship

Recent graduate Russell Mason Nichols is getting a jump start on his education and his future career goals. Having always been a fan of FaZe Clan, an American esports and entertainment organization that hosts and competes in a variety of video game tournaments, Nichols took his chances and applied for an internship at the well-known gaming organization. Months later and just days after graduation, he heard back and within a few days he was on a plane to Los Angeles for a summer internship in the content department.

Originally founded as a gaming clan on YouTube, FaZe Clan competes in popular games such as Fortnite Battle Royale, Call of Duty, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. Nichols is part of the content department where he will be busy helping to produce, film, edit, and brainstorm material for the team.

“I’ll be spending my summer in Los Angeles, interning for the most popular esports organization in the world,” said Nichols, who will be staying in an apartment between the Sunset Strip and Hollywood Boulevard.

Having been a fan of FaZe Clan for years, Nichols found out about the internship through a family friend and immediately sent over samples of his work along with his resume. The internship will serve as a perfect stepping stone to his education and career, and not long after he returns home in mid-August, he will be starting at UMass Amherst. While he is enrolled at the local university, he plans on studying Business Management and playing intramural tennis.

So far, during his once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunity, Nichols has gained knowledge of many tricks of the trade and has experienced content production in a professional setting.

“Learning everything has been very exciting and I look forward to a great summer and big things to come,” said Nichols, who hopes to one day work in management for esports, specifically at FaZe Clan.