The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) communication department welcomes Nina Vallad to the team as a two-year North American Division communication intern.
Nina is a 2017 graduate of Andrews University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in documentary film and a minor in history. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 6 years old. She graduated from Newbury Park Academy in southern California, and took a semester of college at Southern Adventist University before transferring to Andrews for the remainder of her college program.
She is entering her post-graduate career with an auspicious milestone already in her resumé. Her senior thesis project film while at Andrews, “Sisterly,” was selected as one of just seven finalists from more than 1,600 documentary film entries for the 2017 Student Academy Awards. The film highlights the relationship between Nina and her younger sister, Lisa, who is autistic.
She has enjoyed creating films ever since she and other grade school friends acted out home movies of biblical characters such as Esther and Samson. She discovered then that visual media not only captures attention, but also carries a powerful message that can be used for good.
“I loved the focus of my Andrews University professor, Paul Kim, to capture visual stories in an authentic, life-changing way,” says Nina. “I hope to be able to partner with the NPUC team here to carry that mission forward in the months ahead for our church in the Northwest and beyond.”
“We are excited to have Nina join us,” says Steve Vistaunet, NPUC assistant to the president for communication. “As a young adult, she will bring a fresh perspective to how we share what God is doing among us and in our communities.”