UALR English major Nikki Ackerman was recently selected as a finalist for The Emmy Foundation’s Summer Student Internship Program.

Ackerman’s script for the ABC-television crime drama “Castle” earned her consideration for an internship focused on television scriptwriting in drama.

“The scene I wrote is a perfect Castle-esque scenario; the team comes across two murders and the only connection is the manner of death – blue satin stiletto heels through the eye,” said Ackerman.

The eight-week internship program gives college students a chance to work in television production over the summer. Interns in the highly competitive program work closely with their hosts and designated supervisors to maximize knowledge and exposure in their industry-specific area of interest.

Sony Pictures, Imageworks, CBS, HBO, The Disney Channel, NBC Universal and Warner Bros are among the host networks.

To move past the finalist stage, Ackerman will submit a DVD or online interview and an original, full-length script to the Foundation. Winners will be announced later this summer.

Ackerman, who is also an Iraqi-war veteran, hopes to become a writer for television, film, or stage following graduation.

She had applied previously to the program and was not accepted. However, she said she submitted a more polished script this year after taking a scriptwriting class under School of Mass Communication professor Alanna Newton, and being mentored by Department of English professor David Jauss.

The Emmy Foundation’s Summer Student Internship Program provides over 40 industry-wide internships to college and graduate students from across the country and has been hailed for more than a decade as one of the top ten internships in the country.