TV writer, former Mt. SAC student to share knowledge
March 17, 2025 - 09:38 AM
Mt. SAC students who are fans of TV, writing, comedy, or all of the above will want to be in the live studio audience when Eliza Cossio stars in a Writing Across Mediums: A TV Writing Workshop in the Multicultural Center of the Student Center on March 27 at 1 p.m.
Cossio, a TV writer and former Mt. SAC student, has worked on shows like Our Flag
Means Death, This Fool, One Day at a Time, and Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas. 
鈥淲hile studying at UC Berkeley, I was writing for our Weekend Update-type spoof news show,鈥� Cossio says. 鈥淚 applied to internships at The Daily Show and The Colbert Report every year. It wasn't until I interned at Univision in San Francisco that I finally got the Daily Show internship (my third time applying). I moved to New York and spent my days interning at The Daily Show and working on an ice cream truck until I was hired full time at the show.
鈥淔rom there, I was performing comedy in New York and pitching ideas while at the show, and, luckily, there were a lot of smart writers at The Daily Show who took me under their wing.鈥�
So what can Mounties expect from under her wing in this workshop?
鈥淚 will be going over my background, and how Mt. SAC and my education played a role in making me a writer,鈥� Cossio says. 鈥淚 will also be demystifying the industry and the writing process, and I hope to get students to see a path to having creative success after Mt. SAC.鈥�
Cossio started her journey at Mt. SAC when she was in middle school, taking classes in the College for Kids program.
鈥淚 took a theatre class,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y school didn't have a theatre program, so it was amazing to have access to it as a community program. This introduced me to theatre, playwriting, and acting, and confirmed for me at an early age that I wanted to pursue a career in that world.鈥�
During high school, Cossio took summer classes at Mt. SAC 鈥� Political Science and Religious Studies 鈥� to 鈥渋ntroduce myself to the work level of college classes,鈥� she says.
鈥淗aving a community college that provided affordable access to expand my mind was amazing,鈥� Cossio says. 鈥淢y education broadened my capacity to communicate ideas through writing, which is what I continue to do in my career.鈥�
While her career seems quite busy, Cossio finds a balanced approach keeps her successful.
鈥淪ome days 鈥� the best days 鈥� are in a writers room, brainstorming ideas together,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ome days are me quietly typing at my computer in a coffee shop. Some days are me banging my head against a wall trying to solve a story problem or come up with a better idea 鈥� and I like to be transparent about that because it's not always easy (but it does make it more rewarding!) Some days are taking breaks 鈥� watching/reading things, people watching, or just doing general life things.
鈥淎 teacher once told me that you have to keep living your life or else you won't have anything to write about, and I always build breaks and procrastination into my writing process.鈥�
What will be Cossio鈥檚 advice for Mounties at the workshop?
鈥淜eep feeding your mind, keep putting pen to paper, find your people, take care of your spine, and take breaks when you need to,鈥� she says.
To RSVP for this event, email professor Jason Kordich at jkordich@mtsac.edu.