At TigerPress, executives roar about STCC
Ed Demetrion '80, '81, left, and Matthew T. O'Neil '14 are proud graduates of STCC. They work at TigerPress.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – When his son was getting ready to choose a college, Ed Demetrion '80, '81 offered some fatherly advice: Go to STCC.
Demetrion knew the value of a degree from Springfield Technical Community College. An Army veteran, he graduated nearly 40 years ago with two associate degrees, one in graphic arts and the other in business. The education he received at STCC prepared him for a successful career in printing and sales.
Demetrion joined TigerPress as Vice President of Sales five years ago. He had worked at another printing company for several decades before joining East Longmeadow-based TigerPress, which offers digital printing, offset printing, and custom paperboard packaging.
“STCC was and still is a very affordable option,” said Demetrion, of Wilbraham. “You get a great education and terrific college experience. If I’m hiring to fill a position and I find out an applicant came from STCC, I will definitely want to talk to them.”
Those are reasons why Demetrion suggested his son, Jon, go to STCC. Jon Demetrion '16 graduated with a degree in criminal justice and transferred to Westfield State University, where he is now pursuing degrees in education and history. His goal is to one day become a teacher.
STCC was and still is a very affordable option.Ed Demetrion '80, '81, Vice President of Sales at TigerPress
“When I was at STCC, I always felt welcome and included in everything I was offered,” Jon Demetrion said. “The professors, administrators and deans were all great. I loved going there.”
STCC offers a program in graphic communications and photography, which is a career pathway to printing companies like TigerPress. Students in the two-year associate degree program can choose digital photography, graphic design or web and advertising design. One-year certificate programs also are available in digital photography, digital publishing and graphic arts entrepreneurial.
The college’s nearly 100 degree and certificate programs align with the needs of the region’s employers. TigerPress has hired graduates from other programs at STCC. Matthew T. O’Neil '14, a Sales Executive at TigerPress, was a liberal arts transfer student at STCC.
“When I graduated from high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I heard about the value of STCC. It was a great price and location and I never heard anyone talk poorly about STCC,” said O’Neil, of Wilbraham. “I didn’t want to just blow $40,000 a year on college.”
After graduation in 2014, he transferred his credits to Westfield State University and earned his degree in Business Management. It didn’t take long to get job offers. O’Neil first took a position with an insurance company in Hartford. He left in October 2017 to join TigerPress as a Sales Executive.
“I think STCC prepared me for where I am today,” O’Neil said. “I figured out what I wanted to do.”
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of about 7,000 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.
For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@S_T_C_C) and Instagram (@stccpics).
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu