From Addis Ababa to Award-Winning Filmmaker: Mente Bezuneh’s Path through Collin College

Mente Bezuneh’s journey from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to the U.S. is nothing short of inspirational. Driven by a passion for storytelling, he founded the award-winning video production company Mentopia and became the senior video production manager at Axxess Technology Solutions. The impact of his success is rooted in his education at Collin College.

In Addis Ababa, Mente’s early fascination with visual storytelling – capturing random life clips with a camera and crafting narratives from the seemingly ordinary – fueled his filmmaking dreams.
         
“In 2016, I took the next step, and I left Ethiopia to pursue my passion professionally,” Mente said.
         
He secured a position at Axxess Technology Solutions as a videographer, a move that marked the beginning of his journey toward turning his vision into a reality.
         
Mente’s passion extended beyond his day job, dedicating evenings and weekends to self-improvement. Discovering Collin College’s Video Production program, he promptly enrolled in Fall 2017 classes because he recognized the program’s perfect alignment with his aspirations.
         
His journey through Collin College was marked by passion and camaraderie. 
         
“Although I already had a background in video and editing, Collin College offered me a chance to interact with like-minded individuals and professionals,” Mente said. “We watched movies and analyzed them, made our own movies, wrote scripts, and got better as a team.” 
         
After graduating from Collin College in December 2020 with an Associate of Applied Science in Video Production, Mente founded Mentopia, his own video production company. The company rapidly
achieved acclaim, winning The Knot’s Best of Weddings and The Couples Choice Award three times in a row, turning Mente’s vision into reality.
         
While simultaneously working at Axxess Technology Solutions, Mente’s dedication and talent stood out. Starting as a videographer, he progressed to senior videographer and eventually became the senior video production manager. 
         
“For me, I was discouraged from doing what I wanted to do, that I was never going to be good enough. But I knew this was my passion, and it didn’t matter whether I made money or not; I was going to pursue it. Being at Collin gave me the knowledge, the friendships, and the confidence I needed to pursue my passion. And I can’t put a price on that,” he said.
         
In Fall 2021, Collin College opened its new IT Center which includes a state-of-the-art video production lab equipped with the latest technology. Though Mente had already graduated by then, he said it shows Collin College’s continued investment in cutting-edge facilities to ensure that students gain hands-on experience that would otherwise come at a significant cost.
         
Through Collin College, Mente said he found the support and resources he needed to transform his dreams into reality, becoming a shining example of what can be achieved when people relentlessly follow their passions.
         
His journey stands as a testament to the boundless possibilities that await those who dare to dream.
         
As Mente wisely puts it, “Anything can be taught, but you need to have that passion.”