Contributors >> Sroka [Lebersfeld], Illana ('03)

Biographical statement (March 2009)

After graduating from Lehigh in 2000, Illana Sroka Lebersfeld went to work in the field of Advertising at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City. There she was part of the Brand Integration Group, also known as BIG, and there she did some junior copy writing, working on such clients as Dove, Coca-Cola, Motorola, Hershey's, Miller Lite, and Levi's. After a few years in the world of advertising, Illana went on to have a family and now is currently a busy mom of three beautiful girls!

Reflection

When I enrolled in the course I had no idea of the grandeur of it and the success it would have. It didn't take me long to choose a film. When I thought of the historical aspects and importance of real American history, I immediately thought about baseball. Baseball (despite its more recent scandals) is America's favorite pastime; focusing on a subject that so many people could relate to seemed to be a great choice. I selected Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner. While baseball was the main focus of the movie, it contained topics such as relationships, money, and family that are all such an integral part of our lives. Rather than working with negative themes such as war and fighting, I wanted to recall a part of history that was fun and brought families together. What better than baseball to use as the background to do just that? While it might not be the first thing people recall when they think of American history, baseball still is such a wonderful part of it. Looking back, I would not have changed my decision about the movie or topic I chose. If I had to do it now, however, I might even move over to a different sport such as ice hockey and choose the movie Miracle on Ice.