Student Spotlight
Max Lorber, Up next: Ireland
When Max Lorber moved to Maine from New York City, he had no idea he would attend SMCC and then earn a prestigious scholarship to study in Ireland.
After high school, Max attended a State University of New York campus for a year before moving to New York City to work for a union. Five years later, he switched gears and moved to Portland for a life change.
Max is now enrolled in the Communications & New Media Studies program, while also working on The Beacon student newspaper. For his senior portfolio project, he’s creating a website called Beacon Media to give CNMS students a place to showcase their creative videos, graphic design, webpages, animation and other work.
Thanks to a George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship, he will study next spring at the Cork Institute of Technology in southwest Ireland.
Coming to SMCC has allowed Max to tap into his creative side; he’s confident the skills he’s learned will lead to a bright future in something he’s passionate about.
“If you’d told me four years ago that I would be living in Portland, Maine, doing all these great things, I’d have told you you were crazy.”
Student Spotlight
Najma Ashraf, future in medical field
English is Najma Ashraf’s fourth language. But that’s not stopping her from earning a degree for a bright future in the medical field.
Najma moved to Portland from her homeland of Pakistan in 2008 and then enrolled in SMCC’s Nursing program. While she’s preparing for tests that will allow her to complete the clinical training portion of her nursing degree, she’s moving forward with earning a separate degree in the Health Science program.
She also took a phlebotomy course through the Continuing Studies division, allowing her to work at Maine Medical Center as a phlebotomist while attending school.
With a husband, three children, a job and school, Najma has a lot going on. But she’s intent on earning a degree because she’s passionate about helping others — and it’s something that her father and her husband would love for her to complete.
“There’s a lot of opportunity here, such a variety of classes and majors. I’ve never had a teacher who let me down. They’ve always been here to help.”