"I found out that you can go to school with enthusiasm, not tears," says Veronika about CME Content Academy.
Her greatest love has always been music, but having joined CME Content Academy, she realised what she truly wants to focus on. She aims to connect television and music: "At the moment, I feel like I'd prefer to do absolutely everything and at best at the same time," laughs Veronika Ľalíková.
She has always been excited with various forms of creativity. She has participated in theatre, drama classes, and poetry or literary competitions. On the other hand, she has been involved in sports from a young age. Veronika started with gymnastics, then switched to triathlon and floorball.
Veronika began to limit her hobbies in order to dedicate herself more to the arts. When she was twelve she joined a punk rock band. An accident that happened three years ago which ended her sports career determined her decision to focus on creative activities. "A car hit me while I was cycling, and that was the definitive end of my sports career," recalls Veronika.
However, her passion for music never ended. "It's an integral part of my life and something I will probably pursue forever. Now that I've also become interested into audiovisual aspects of music, I finally feel that I have a clear direction in life," she says.
Having experienced several moments of moving out with her family, Veronika spent a significant amount of time in Brno. "I attended 6 primary schools and then completed my studies in the French section of Gymnázium Matyáše Lercha (GML) in Brno. I graduated last year. I still use French, but I have trauma from the school," she admits.
Veronika got acquainted with CME Content Academy through the Let’s Go, Girls workshop, an inspirational event for young women from high schools organized by the Television Institute in collaboration with Netflix. The workshop took place at GML. "People from the Television Institute approached me to help them with a TV spot. During that collaboration, I learned about the existence of CME Content Academy, and it seemed like something I would like to do," shares Veronika.
"I applied for the school, successfully went through the entrance exams, and now I'm here. Every day, I feel more and more confident that I'm in the right place," says Veronika.
She developed an excitement for Brno, partly because she attended a local grammar school. "For me, the location of my current school in Brno is not an issue. But if I were to make a statement, it'd be definitely positive—it doesn't have to be all in Prague," Veronika laughs.
Due to her hobby, Veronika knows exactly what she wants to do in television. "I would like to explore various connections between music and television content, whether through music editing, sound design, or other means. However, that doesn't necessarily mean I only want to go in that direction," she says. Over the next two years, she hopes to learn as much as possible to make an informed choice based on her interests. "At the moment, I feel like I'd prefer to do absolutely everything and at best at the same time," she confesses. If her television career doesn't work out, she hopes to gain fame with her band.
Veronika is happy to be a part of CME Content Academy. Having spent 6 years in a French grammar school where she would focus on everything except for anything creative, she sees it as a pleasant change. "Finally, I'm finding out that you can go to school with enthusiasm, not tears. That a person can actually look forward to going to school, and there are often days when you don't really want to go home at the end of the day," she adds.
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-Matěj Škop-