Back in 2015, Seagge Abella was a typical student at MiraCosta College taking his required courses and exploring possible career paths. Then a chance encounter forever changed his life.
Walking down the hallway in between classes, Seagge noticed someone with a MiraCosta College badge setting up camera equipment. On a whim, Seagge approached the man and said, "Hey, you're a photographer. I'm a photographer, too. I would love to help work for the school one day."
That spontaneous introduction to Alex Karvounis, the Creative Service Lead at MiraCosta College, launched Seagge on a journey from a second-year student to successful entrepreneur with his own production company working for the biggest brands in the world.
“Growing up, we didn’t have a lot,” shared Seagge, who emigrated to the U.S. with his family from the Philippines when he was two years old, “I knew if I wanted to go to college, it would have to be on my own dime.”
After graduating from El Camino High School in Oceanside, Seagge was unsure whether to continue his academic journey or jump straight into a career. As Seagge described, he didn’t have the best GPA in high school and wasn’t keen on committing to a four-year university. But because he grew up right down the road, he was familiar with the opportunities that MiraCosta College offered and thought that would be a good place to test out his option. At first, Seagge pursued a path in psychology but deep down his passion had always been in the arts.
“I fell in love with the movies when I was a little kid watching Home Alone,” recalled Seagge. “As I grew older, I loved filmmaking and would create videos with my friends any chance I could get.”
Continued Seagge, "I'm a creative guy. I love creating all types of stuff, from drawings to poetry to dance. Being surrounded by other artists is what inspires me the most in life.”
At MiraCosta College, that creative spark found a purpose. In many ways, he was destined to meet Alex in the hallways of campus.
Shortly after meeting Alex, Seagge began working as a student photographer for the school and through that experience, he began to see a future in that type of work. Upon graduating, Seagge earned his photography certificate through the Arts Department and took the necessary steps toward become a paid vendor for MiraCosta College. Together with Alex and his team, Seagge helped create all types of visual content for the school right as it was adapting its marketing strategy to respond to the evolution of content creation and social media in academia.
Ever since then, Seagge hasn’t stepped foot in a traditional nine-to-five office job and his business, Insageproduction, has partnered with brands including Red Bull, Vans, and Stanford University; all while working on successful projects with everyone from the SDSU Dance Program and Body Rock Dance Competition to Flava Of The Year by the
Gra818ers. And of course, he still produces videos for his day-one client – MiraCosta College.
Shared Seagge, “Pursuing a career in the arts has been a dream come true. And to do so while working with the school that made it all happen is particularly special.”
“I was the first in my family to go to college in the U.S. and to have my own business is one of the most rewarding feelings ever. This is my purpose, and if it wasn’t for Alex and the staff at MiraCosta College I wouldn’t be doing this today.”
For Seagge, being in the right place that day in the hallways of MiraCosta College may have been the spark. But having the ambition to seize the opportunity was what turned that chance encounter into a life-changing moment.