By Beth David, Editor
John Methia made a little trip down memory lane, to his days at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School. The Fairhaven resident received some recogntion for a lifetime of success from his alma mater.
GNBRVT presented Mr. Methia with the Tech Career Achievement award at the Century House on Sunday, 5/6, at the Career Achievement and Sports Hall Of Fame combined banquet.
John Methia (center) with his sons and nephew at the GNB Voc-Tech Career Achievement and Sports Hall of Fame combined banquet on 5/6/18. L-R: Jared Methia (son), Ryan Methia (nephew), John Methia and his sons Justin and Jordan Methia. Submitted photo.
Mr. Methia told the crowd that sports prowess skips a generation in the Methia family, with his father a track star (and first inductee into the school’s Hall of Fame) and John’s three sons excelling in a variety of sports, but John…well, not so much.
“I could aim a camera, but hit the ball….run the bases, well not really my strong suit,” said Mr. Methia. “I found that I had an eye for the creative. When I watched a sporting event my head wasn’t in if the next pitch is a change up or fastball, my creative eye went to who the camera should focus on to capture that next play.”
All three of Mr. Methia’s sons are Voc-Tech graduates and he sang the praises of the school in a variety of ways. When his nephew, Andrew McCann was killed in a car accident, said Mr. Methia, the Voc-Tech “family” showed “incredible support.”
“And in turn the Andrew McCann Scholarship Fund gives back to the school by way of funds raised by his friends, and that same Family,” said Mr. Methia. “This outpouring of support and community makes me proud to say that I’m a Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech Artisan. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”
He joked about how Voc-Tech graduates think they can do it all in the house, knowing “what end of the screwdriver goes into the screw.”
He, too, he said has fallen into that trap, but, as his wife Cheryl will attest, he does not always finish the task.
He talked about his father, “a scrawny” kid wearing a “ripped and borrowed basketball jersey” competing in the nationals in track.
“He took the big stage of Madison Square Garden, he ran against the the odds and won the National title…the grand prize, and a scholarship. I know that many in this room have done the same,” said Mr. Methia, noting that going to Voc-Tech was somehow considered a “consolation prize” tot he grand prize of a college education.
“We’ve gone up against the Ivy Leaguers in job interviews, been looked down at by those who think their white collars are somehow better than our blue ones, and at times we’ve all struggled to win,” said Mr. Methia. “It often felt like we were wearing that ripped and borrowed Basketball Jersey. But for those here tonight in both business and sport, we persevered and we won.”
Mr. Methia is an Emmy Award winning television executive and found of Sociable, an international television production company and social media content provider.
He has worked in a variety of broadcast producting positions at WLNE-TV, working his way up through the ranks.
He is now working exclusively with his team on the development of national television, social media, web and films projects.
He and his team discovered and produced Caught in Providence, featuring internet sensation Judge Frank Caprio. The show will go national in the fall.
To learn more about Sociable, visit http://trendsociably.com
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