LSU alumna and Baton Rouge native Niya Butler didn’t begin her academic journey expecting to be working in Hollywood’s high-paced film industry.
Starting out as a biology major, Butler had every intention of attending medical school and pursuing a career in neuroscience.
“After a semester of studying biology, I realized that this wasn’t what I wanted, and I was unhappy,” Butler said. “I went through LSU’s list of majors countless times before deciding on film. Because, why not?’”
From there, she made the switch and began taking screenwriting courses to discover that she was deeply passionate about the process and subject matter.
“Mari Kornhauser was my first screenwriting professor,” Butler said. “It was in her class that I wrote the first act of my first script and realized that I loved the world that I had created.”
During this time, Butler was also searching for an internship and landed her first one with The Nashville Film Festival, where she gave feedback on scripts submitted to the screenwriting competition. This experience confirmed that she was on the right track, so she kept going.
The second internship, with Warner Bros. Pictures, led to her involvement in the “Friends” reunion as support for the alternative production team.
“I got to speak with various producers about their experiences, and from there my goal seemed more feasible to me,” Butler said. 
Things really started rolling for Butler when she became involved with Ryan Reynolds’ Group Effort Initiative. The team nominated her to apply for the Academy Gold Rising program, an eight-week summer program for college seniors acquiring skills and connections to be successful in the film industry.
“About a week after they nominated me, I got an email for the Oscars informing me that I was selected,” Butler said. “I’m grateful for that experience because I got to meet so many fantastic filmmakers.”
These experiences helped Butler decide that she was most suited for the production and writing aspects of filmmaking. She continued her studies while consistently writing scripts, gaining experience and experimenting with her craft. Her short film series, Not Alone, was selected to screen at the Lake Charles Film Festival in October 2023.
Now a year post-graduation, Butler has nestled into a life in Los Angeles, and worked as a West Coast Page at NBCUniversal in her first rotation. She is currently in her section rotation with Universal Content Productions, working on shows like Ted, The Umbrella Academy, and Chucky.
She spoke of how astounded she is at times at her own journey and offered some sound advice to LSU students who are considering pivoting like she did.
“Go for it, and be sure of yourself,” Butler said. “There will be times when you share your goals with people, and they will project their doubts onto you. Take important things like being able to sustain yourself into consideration, but let your heart lead you at the same time.”