Caribou High School alumni nominated for College Television Award

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - A Caribou High school alumni has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation College Television Awards. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter caught up with Ben Ezzy on being nominated for this award.

Ben Ezzy is a former Caribou High school student who is currently the University of Miami’s TV Program Coordinator. Ezzy always loved doing video projects growing up in high school, but didn’t know how to turn it into a career.

Ben Ezzy: “I ended up working at WAGM actually in the summer after I graduated high school doing some editing, commercials, went to the University of Miami, found broadcast journalism, fell in love. Ended up coming back and worked at WAGM in the newsroom as an intern, and doing some reporting which was fun. But I ended up falling in love with the behind the scenes aspects a lot more producing and directing of shows. I really like the adrenaline rush in the control room, getting to put together a live show, and then make it happen. Getting to be able to guide the crew through that experience is a lot of fun.”

Ezzy started directing at the University of Miami’s TV newscast “NewsVision” while still a student and graduate student. NewsVision is a half-hour live program that is run by the students at the University of Miami covering campus and local Florida news. This wasn’t the first time that the Caribou native was nominated for this award.

Ben Ezzy: “So we were nominated for a college television award which is a national collegiate news competition. This is actually our fourth year in a row being nominated for NewsVision, and for myself as a director as well. Which is super rewarding, we have been nominated four times, we are at the top of the country in terms of what our newscast is, and how we are able to put it together. And it’s really rewarding to be part of that select group and just to know that the work we are putting in is meaningful.”

The College Television Awards ceremony will be held on Saturday April 1st in North Hollywood, California. Ezzy and a few members of the team plan to attend the awards ceremony and are looking forward to the trip.

Ben Ezzy: “This is the first one, we have been nominated four times, but this is the first in person ceremony that we are going to have because of COVID. The previous three were all virtual ceremonies, so this is the last one that I am going to be on as a student so it’s a fun book end to my time at UM as a student, and hopefully looking ahead I will be on a few more as an advisor.”

Ezzy says he loved growing up in the County and is thankful for the opportunities to pursue his passion.

Ben Ezzy: “Having those relationships that allowed me to pursue those passions was really important growing up. Looking back, definitely I got my roots in the County but I am happy to be representing in the competition.”

Ezzy has now transitioned from being a student at the University of Miami to a Staff member in the School of Communication. Isaac Potter News Source 8.

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