By Nicole Torres AB '11

In the #HWire blog's "Where Are They Now?" series, we check in with Harvardwood program alums to find out what they've been up to and to showcase their accomplishments since participating with Harvardwood! 

Ava Tramer AB '09 was a participant in the Harvardwood Writers Program - TV Modules, and her credits include TROPHY WIFE and ANGIE TRIBECA. Most recently, she developed her single-cam spec comedy MY FRIEND 50 at Fox with executive producers Will Packer (Truth Be Told, Uncle Buck) and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (Power), and is currently staffed on an upcoming Netflix comedy.

Q. Can you tell us how you got started in writing? Was it something you always knew you wanted to do or was it something you gradually fell into?

A. When I was young, I was interested in historical costume design and the hotel industry, like most kids.  Which was a good thing, because growing up in LA my parents discouraged me and my brother from careers in Hollywood.  They’re extremely supportive of us, but they also knew how unstable and stressful it can be and wanted us to avoid that heartache. 

The summer after my sophomore year of college, I didn’t have a job lined up.  I got Greg Daniels’ email address from a family friend and wrote him the most embarrassing email ever explaining why I’d be the perfect intern on The Office, listing every random skill I had that might possibly come in handy.  A highlight (and very desperate) sentence includes “I used to work at Angelina’s Frozen Yogurt, so if you need someone to serve you frozen yogurt in a beautifully swirled way, I’m your girl!”  Miraculously it worked, and I spent my summer there as an intern with the writers.  Everyone was so welcoming and I loved every single second of it.  I returned the following summer as a PA in the production office.