University of Portland affiliated Instagram accounts are an anonymous mystery. Pictures are often posted to the accounts, such as @uportland, @portlandpilots and @up_admissions, but unlike typical social media accounts, these pages don’t give an inside view to the people running them.
Just because we don’t see their faces does not mean there aren’t real people behind these posts. Here’s a look at what some of the students behind these Instagram accounts are up to when they’re off the clock:
Maggie Blommer, @up_admissions
Senior organizational communications major Maggie Blommer runs the Instagram account @up_admissions as the Social Media Coordinator in the Office of Admissions.
Outside of her social media position, Blommer finds joy in marketing and sales. Growing up, Blommer’s family owned a chocolate company. Going to conventions and being around other business people with her dad is a fond memory, Blommer said.
Maggie Blommer is a senior at UP. She runs the UP Admissions Instagram account @up_admissions.
Photo courtesy of Maggie Blommer.
“I grew up all around business and I’ve always liked mark
eting,” Blommer said. “I love that stuff.”
After graduation, Blommer is considering taking time to travel before moving into an admissions position for a university, possibly in her hometown of Chicago.
Blommer also has a passion for music. Some of her favorite artists include Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator and Harry Styles.
Harry Styles is an artist she has a particular connection with since she grew up with One Direction, Blommer said.
Music is another bonding experience Blommer has with her dad, as he listens to some of her favorite artists with her.
“In high school, I went to a concert like once a month, I love concerts and smaller venues,” Blommer said. “He was always really supportive in that and so that’s the thing that I think brought us really close to each other.”
Evan Luecke, @portlandpilots
Evan Luecke is a graduate student in communications at UP and is the student behind the @portlandpilots Instagram account, with photography being his main role.
Relating to the visual aspect of his job, Luecke also enjoys graphic design, much of which he learned on YouTube. Luecke likes design such as developing apps and solving problems in user experience.
Evan Luecke photographs a UP basketball game. Luecke is a graduate student at UP and runs the @portlandpilots Instagram account.
Photo courtesy of Evan Luecke.
Luecke additionally enjoys photography inside and outside the job, including taking some photos of nature.
Getting out into nature is a common theme for Luecke as he enjoys both running and surfing.
Luecke picked up surfing in 2015 and tries to make a surfing trip at least once a year, though it’s more difficult while living in Oregon.
“I haven’t got a chance to [surf] up here because it’s cold,” Luecke said. “Huntington was where I first started so there’s a little love there and then Hawaii North Shore.”
Luecke also likes to get out running, his weekly mileage is approximately 50 to 70 miles. There are some weeks that go by where he actually runs more miles than he drives, Luecke said.
“It’s a getaway, it is a way for me to clear my mind and just kind of decompress and destress,” Luecke said.
Gabe Eugenio, @uportland
Senior nursing student Gabe Eugenio runs the official @uportland account.
“Like everything else in my life, I feel like I just fell into it,” Eugenio said. “I just applied to like probably seven or eight jobs and that was just the one that stuck.”
Gabe Eugenio is a senior at UP and runs the @uportland Instagram account.
Photo courtesy of Gabe Eugenio.
Being in the position of a social media student worker, Eugenio gets to be creative with the stories that go up on the Instagram page.
Beyond the Instagram page, Eugenio likes to fill his free time with activities that allow him to be creative, such as photography and videography.
Eugenio was a videographer in high school and used to freelance with photography and videography. Eugenio finds his inspiration through the desire to capture moments of other people’s lives.
Eugenio first became interested in photography on a family vacation when his mom gave him an old camera. Since that family vacation, Eugenio learned how to use more advanced cameras and how to edit through YouTube videos.
As he advanced, Eugenio started making ads for small businesses and coffee shops. Currently, Eugenio is helping a friend make a music video.
One of Eugenio’s favorite moments captured is from a Costa Rica trip he took when he was 18. Eugenio describes an Easter procession with thousands of people he was able to photograph.
“It’s such a different way of lids that I was able to just like capture on my camera,” Eugenio said. “I was also really proud of how I shot that to be honest.”
Laura Heffernan is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at hefferna23@up.edu.
