Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. V M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 7 12 A be Turcotte has loved photog- raphy since high school, but it wasn't until college that he realized that he could turn his passion into a career. It happened a week into his freshman year when the school's mar- keting department hired him as a special projects assistant. He ended up making some 100 promotional videos, including a four-minute music clip that went viral. Set to Pharrell Williams' "Happy," it fea- tures students, faculty, cafeteria staff , and even the school's president dancing and lip-synching all over campus to show what a happy place UMF is. Turcotte couldn't agree more. "It's a school that helps you grow as a per- son, that really supports you and helps you not only fi nd out what you want to do, whatever your passion is, but it supports you in doing that," he says. He graduated in 2014 with a degree in business administration outdoor rec- reation, also did a six-month marketing internship at Saddleback Inc., and is now a videographer, editor and social media manager at Black Fly Media in Portland. Getting students career-ready has been a priority at UMF since its 19 th century roots as a teacher training " " " " Colors Pantone 2747 Pantone 1807 IT Solutions Designed for Your Business Finding the right IT partner is one of the most important decisions your company can make. At WGTECH, making information technology work for your business is our core competency. We develop individualized solutions that help you grow your business, improve operations, and boost efficiency. We're Northern New England's resource for advanced technology – we'd like to partner with you. www.WGTECH.com 207.856.5300 Control Costs & Increase Productivity Abe Turcotte, a 2014 graduate of UMaine Farmington, is now a videographer, editor and social media manager at Black Fly Media in Portland. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F U M A I N E FA R M I N G T O N F O C U S 'HIRE' Putting the in HIGHER EDUCATION UMaine Farmington puts emphasis on workforce training

• Cover