BTS: Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid

This past November, 3 members of the Scoir team (including us, Becky and Ashley! 👋) and 2 members of our community flew to sunny Boca Raton to share our story as part of a documentary series, Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid:

• What motivated Gerry to found Scoir
• The incredible counseling community united behind our platform
• And the real students whose futures are changed because of this work

But wait…back up. Dennis Quaid? Like the Dennis Quaid? 

Yes, that one!

If you’ve ever wondered how TV is made (or at least our little slice of it), consider this your inside track. Here’s how that day went:

Production Set

We arrived at 9am for hair and makeup (including Gerry!), and for a quick tour of the studio. It was much more intimate than expected and not as intimidating as you might imagine. Phew!

The Interviews

We collaborated with the production team to swap out backdrops that matched the working environments of our cast of characters:

• Gerry McCrory, our Dear Leader and founder of Scoir
• Julie Kampschroeder, a former Title I Counselor and early adopter of Scoir
• Chantal Zossoungbo, a former student of Ms. Julie and current investment banker at Wells Fargo

And we strategized the order of the interviews. Chantal set the tone with her cheerful, ready to conquer attitude, mustard yellow outfit, and inspiring story.

Chantal shared about life in Togo, West Africa, prior to landing in St. Louis, including her love for Ms. K and the way she impacted her trajectory after high school. There wasn’t a dry eye in the studio. Sometimes, you meet people who you immediately know are special, who will have a lasting impact on their communities, and are committed to the success of others. That’s Chantal. 

Julie was up next, and the story repeated. Our high school counselors deeply care about the students they guide, and Julie is a perfect model of that. She talked about the impact of meeting Gerry, the level playing field created by Scoir, and how her path intersected with Chantal’s. She was entirely too modest but the emotion in the room belied the truth: Julie sacrificed years of her life to do more and be more for the kids who needed it most. 

In between each interview, the director kept a playlist going with high energy tunes. When Gerry took center stage, Beyonce reverberated in the background. 

If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Gerry, 3 things stand out:

• His thick Irish accent
• Inviting demeanor
• And genuine generosity, in word and in deed

Gerry’s passion for this work is contagious, and as he described his own experience as a first generation student and how he recognized a broken admissions process and students who deserved better, the crew locked in. We heard about Gerry’s respect and admiration for Julie, his vision for Scoir’s future, and his gratitude for our community.

The director assigned to our story was incredibly skilled at making our talent comfortable, and teasing out the most important pieces. None of it was scripted, and she made off-the-cuff conversations feel alive.

Shooting B-Roll

After we wrapped interviews, it was time to shoot b-roll! We made use of the recently redesigned building, capturing Chantal and Julie, Chantal and her boyfriend, Tinny (a true knight in shining armor!), Gerry and Julie, and virtually every other combination you can imagine. Ashley and Becky even snuck into one or two shots. 

We finished off the day with a dance party back in the studio, and some very professional shots of the crew: 

We loved our time with the Viewpoint team, and are so excited for you to experience what we did that day: The inspiring why behind Scoir. 

You can learn more about Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid on this page, including updates about our upcoming watch party!