Ep 073: PBS’s The Class and the Importance of Mentorship
Our guest, Wax Taber, is a multi-award-winning documentary editor who worked on the PBS series, THE CLASS. This docuseries was set amid the turmoil of a pandemic year and follows six students from Deer Valley High School as they pursue their dreams of higher education, with their adviser, Mr. Cam, helping them overcome the challenges they face.
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We discuss the importance of mentors, as seen in this series, and the impact this support can have on your mental health. We also talk about the importance of mentors in Wax’s life as she navigated: homelessness as a teen in New York to being a part of the EOP program, which allowed her to have financial and emotional support to attend SUNY Fredonia and finally, to becoming an award-winning editor who maintains life-long bonds with the mentors who helped her make it all possible.
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Music: Deppisch
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ABOUT OUR GUEST
Wax Taber is an accomplished Editor and Producer known for her work on documentary and unscripted projects. Her most recent credit is PBS’s The Class, where she edited four of the six episodes and served as Finishing Editor. Wax's versatile career includes notable work on Down to Earth with Zac Efron (Netflix), Gaming Wall St. (Max), Planet in Peril(CNN), Behind the Attraction (Disney), and the feature film Lover of Men, as well as high-profile news formats like REVOLT Live and AC360 (CNN).
Starting in 2001 at CNN, Wax developed a diverse skill set across multiple roles before transitioning to editing in 2003. She spent a decade at CNN before moving into freelance documentary filmmaking in 2011. Wax also works with the non-profit The Change Reaction.
Originally from Philadelphia and NYC, Wax now resides in North Hollywood with her partner Rick, a Director of Photography, and their two “Production Assistants,” BetaMax and The Mighty Moosh.
About PBS's docuseries The Class:
In the East Bay community of Antioch, CA, the seniors at Deer Valley High School journey towards their futures in higher education amid the turmoil of a pandemic year. Higher education is the single most important step that young people can take to transform their lives. Yet, the national student-to-counselor ratio is 482:1. So, even in the best of times, too many talented students in low-income communities are getting left behind.
Deer Valley HS’s new college adviser, “Mr. Cam,” is fighting to change that narrative. With exceptional passion and determination, he empowers the Class of 2021 to overcome the challenges they face while ceaselessly fighting for their dreams of a college degree.
From Tony- and Grammy-winning Executive Producer Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, Snowpiercer, Hamilton) and award-winning filmmakers Jaye and Adam Fenderson (First Generation, Unlikely), this dramatic six-part series, filmed over the course of the 2020-2021 school year, captures an unprecedented moment in time and the universal stories of hope, resolve, strength and success found in the most unexpected places.
LINKS
Website: https://www.waxtaber.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waxtaber/
The Class website: https://www.theclassdocumentary.com/
SUNY’s EOP program: https://www.suny.edu/attend/academics/eop/ (each state has its own. If you’re interested in learning more about your state, you can search online)
Big Brothers, Big Sisters: United States, Canada
Other episodes you’ll enjoy:
CBC’s virgins!, Immigration, and Bicultural Identity - Episode 032
You’re Not Alone: How Stigma Hurts Everyone - Episode 036
Dispelling Myths of Transracial Adoption in Media - Episode 042