Planning live events and productions involves many people working behind the scenes, and that fact hasn’t changed as schools like Baylor have had an urgent increase in producing a much higher volume of virtual events and quality video experiences.

When Baylor’s campus was forced to shut down last spring due to the pandemic, travel restrictions brought many of Donna Marie Siegel’s ’14 projects in documentary film industry to a halt.

A graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, Siegel earned her degree in cinema arts and science with a concentration in documentary filmmaking and had just wrapped up a rafting trip down the Colorado River when COVID-19 began sweeping the country. Always ready for a challenge and nimble in adapting to new situations, she stepped in last spring to assist the communications office in capturing and editing a steady stream of virtual events and video messages, ranging from frequent headmaster updates to the class of 2020’s car parade around Rike Field. 

She knows and loves the Baylor community and embraces our mission to foster in students the desire and ability to make a positive difference in the world.

Even though campus reopened in the fall, her work continues to be vital due to protocols and restrictions that limit campus visits, events, and live performances. “Donna Marie loves adventure and nature filmmaking, so the work she is doing for our office is very different in scope and at times surely must feel somewhat tedious,” said Bernard Fertal, webmaster and director of interactive media. “Yet, she is always game for whatever we send her way, and her desire for quality work, combined with her skills in filming, producing, editing, sound recording, and visual storytelling have been critical to the school’s marketing and communications efforts. It’s a bonus that she also knows and loves the Baylor community and embraces our mission to foster in students the desire and ability to make a positive difference in the world.”