UWF alumnus wins regional Emmy award

Michael Wolcott, a ‘02 alumnus and producer on the show “Loma Linda 360,” won an Emmy award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. “Loma Linda 360” was named the best health/sciences program and best magazine program in the region at the 37th Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards.

Wolcott said that winning the Emmy shows a culmination of all the work he has done and all that he has learned in the industry thus far.

“I work with a really talented team, and we’ve put out three seasons of our show ‘Loma Linda 360,’” said Wolcott. “Every year, we try to get better, and so far I think we have. The show is documentary-based and tells the stories of people impacted by Loma Linda University and Loma Linda University Medical Center, both locally and globally.”

The show tells the story of transformed lives so that the community can experience what Loma Linda is all about, and to inspire viewers to make a positive difference in their communities, according to Patricia Thio, associate director of the show. Wolcott’s work on the show has taken him to Afghanistan, Africa and Haiti, just after the devastating earthquake, as well as Asia and Central America.

“Every year, we submit our best work to the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences,” Wolcott said. “Our shows are then sent off and judged by industry professionals in other chapters. If your score is high enough, you get a nomination; if it’s even higher, you get an Emmy. This year I was nominated for four Emmy awards and won my first.”

The education that he received from UWF helped Wolcott immensely and honed his passion for filmmaking and documentaries, he said.

“I was at UWF from 2001 to 2002, and the time I spent there really laid a fantastic foundation for my career,” said Wolcott. “In my job, we have a small team, and we all do pretty much everything, from coming up with a concept for a documentary to producing, directing, shooting and editing. Going through the program at UWF gave me the confidence and the ability to tackle all of these jobs.”

The Emmy awards were announced June 18 in Carlsbad, Calif., and Wolcott could not have been more excited at the news that he was not only nominated, but won.

“When they called my name I was excited, nervous, overwhelmed and relieved all at the same time,” said Wolcott. “Receiving an award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is really something special and gives me a lot of encouragement in the path I’ve taken and where I’m headed. I think this has the potential to open a lot more doors for me in the future and allow me to pursue projects that otherwise might not happen.”

As the statue is now at home in his possession, Wolcott noted another big change the award made in his life.

“One thing is for sure, I’ve changed the first sentence of my resume.”