For our first alumni feature, we are honored to highlight Jamie Solomon ‘13 from Los Gatos, California.
Jamie majored in Psychology and minored in Media Studies at Pitzer College. During her four years on the PPWT (Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis) Team, she earned All-SCIAC (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) First Team honors three times, as well as ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Division III All-American honors once for singles (2010) and twice for doubles (2010 and 2011) alongside teammate Kara Wang ‘13. Jamie reached the No. 14 ranking in the nation in singles, while she and Kara achieved the No. 10 ranking in the nation in doubles. In January 2018, Jamie returned to the PPWT Team as an assistant coach, helping the Sagehens to finish the 2017-18 season ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Jamie has had an exciting career in TV development, working for the show How to Get Away with Murder, Carlton Cuse Productions, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. She is now a Showrunner’s Assistant for the Apple TV+ show Physical.
We were thrilled to hear more about Jamie’s current role as well as her time at Pomona-Pitzer. She also had some awesome advice for current Sagehens and a message for members of the PPWT community.
What is a typical day in the life of a showrunner’s assistant like?
Jamie: No two days are alike, but I’m a liaison between all the departments on our show from writing to casting to production to post-production to marketing and everything in between. And all the while, I keep an eye out for up-and-coming writers and the next great material to pursue and develop.
Can you tell us a bit about the TV show that you’re working on?
Jamie: Physical is about a disgruntled housewife in the early 1980s who is secretly struggling with an eating disorder. Fed up with her life, she starts to unleash the power inside of her and find her voice through aerobics.
What is the best part about working on Physical?
Jamie: The best part of working on this show is getting to work with talented, hardworking, and kind people.
What was one of your favorite traditions from your time on the team?
Jamie: Going to dinner after practice was one of my favorite traditions! Those bonding moments felt small at the time, but they led to lifelong friendships.
What was one of the most valuable internships that you engaged in during college and why?
Jamie: The summer between my sophomore and junior year, I interned at former professional tennis player Ashok Amritraj‘s company, Hyde Park Entertainment. I read a ton of screenplays and learned about the business. I was also the only person at the company that got to leave early one day to play tennis with the CEO :). Not long after, his daughter Priya Amritraj ’15 joined the PPWT Team!
What advice would you give to current and incoming Sagehens?
Jamie: Listen to your coaches! And meet as many people as you can. I’m pretty shy, so I’m still working on this one!
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Jamie: Thanks for asking me to do this! And to everyone reading this, let’s meet up at The BNP Paribas Open 2022!
(Images courtesy of Jamie Solomon)
