Beth Wheatley always knew she’d leave her hometown of Deland, Florida for life in Hollywood. “Sometimes you just know where you belong. I always felt I was out of place in Florida.” So, before she even graduated from Full Sail’s online Entertainment Business Master’s program, Beth hightailed out to L.A. to accept a stage manager job at Universal Hollywood.

Once she graduated, she applied for another position and was promoted to Entertainment Supervisor for Universal. In no time flat, she was helping run the day-to-day operations of all the entertainment venues and shows at the colossal L.A. theme park.

“I’m in charge of performance groups such as Can Can dancers, Stilt Walkers, and NY COP improv actors,” says Beth, who’s also involved in the audition and hiring process. “I have only been here a year but I’ve already been instrumental in some of the new and exciting developments with the company. Since the merger with Comcast, the company has shown tons of growth and investments in the future.”

Outside of her day job, she’s also producing and stage-managing Point Break Live, a stage version of the movie Point Break. “I also created and produced Showgirls, the live stage version of the 1995 cult classic film using drag queens in place of Elizabeth Berkley and Gina Gershon’s role.”

The move to Hollywood has been an eye-opening experience for Beth, who learned quickly that networking and keeping good relationships are critical to success in L.A. “Overall, it’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks. A lot of actors are on unemployment and there are a lot of artists working for free just trying to get a shot. One day you’re on an ABC show, next you’re looking for anything you can do to make money.”

So, is she moving back to Florida any time soon? Not a chance. “Florida will always be my home, my whole family lives there,” she says “But there are more opportunities in the entertainment field here. I really enjoy where I am right now. I have done more in one year than I had in five in Florida. It was my time.”