Alumni Profile
McKenzie Roy, mind for business
McKenzie Roy didn’t enjoy math when growing up. Now she lives it every day ― and loves every minute of it ― as a pricing analyst for Hannaford Supermarkets.
McKenzie came to SMCC in 2012 and graduated with a Liberal Studies degree before transferring to the University of Southern Maine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 2018.
A few months after graduating from USM, she was offered a job at Hannaford as a merchandizing coordinator working on “end cap” product displays that are placed at the end of grocery store aisles.
That job led to a promotion to her current position as a pricing analyst for beauty products, helping determine the prices and promotional opportunities for hair care, skin care, shaving, deodorant and other products found in Hannaford beauty product sections.
McKenzie says she appreciates working for a company with a strong sense of community where employees are valued. She credits SMCC with allowing her to explore her interests and providing a solid educational foundation that eventually led to where she is now.
When McKenzie was growing up, her stepfather told her she had a mind for business. She didn’t agree at the time, but she does now and can picture herself working at Hannaford until she retires.
“I didn’t realize how much goes into the grocery business and how much one person can do. There are so many positions, and in the future I could move into marketing or private brands or other divisions. It’s always evolving and changing.”
Student Profile
Loraine Aceto, learning the ropes
For her internship at Portland Radio Group, Loraine Aceto is learning about audio production, news-gathering, script-writing, editing and promotion while working with a radio journalist, on-air personalities and the people working behind the scenes.
Loraine came to SMCC after graduating high school in 2017, drawn by the affordable tuition, the location and the Communications and New Media Studies academic program. She expects to graduate following the 2020 Fall Semester.
After arriving here, Loraine discovered that she wanted to become a journalist, combining her passion for writing with her interest in the news. After graduation, she hopes to continue her education at St. Joseph’s College of Maine and focus on journalism.
At SMCC, she is taking a journalism course (which was offered for the first time this spring), while also writing news articles and opinion columns for The Beacon student newspaper. Outside of school, she is volunteering for a candidate for the Maine Legislature, helping with communications.
In her internship, she’s learning the ins and outs about broadcast radio and radio journalism at Portland Radio Group, whose eight properties include WGAN news radio and other stations that play a wide range of music.
“I feel like the internship is a great learning experience. It’s hands-on in an actual work environment at a radio station with professionals in their field.”