Thomas students take advantage of every opportunity, including those that come around once every four years.
Bismark Akoto sought media accreditation for the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival 2026™ and has been taking photos at games and practices since the tournament began in early June. Currently interning at Bangor Savings Bank, Bismark travels down to Boston every Friday evening through Sunday. “It’s a hustle, but it’s one I’m happy to keep up,” he remarks.
As a current junior at Thomas studying Digital Media with a multimedia design concentration, Bismark has continuously applied himself in every opportunity that crosses his path. “I get the opportunity to work for Thomas College’s Advancement office, shooting events, working with the marketing team, and covering some sports,” says Bismark. “That experience has been huge, it’s what gave me the confidence to stand in front of different types of audiences and the ability to tell stories in different ways. I was ready for this because I’d already been doing the work.”
His favorite part about this experience has been the people. Bismark has been stationed at the official FIFA Fan Festival in Boston, which has given him the chance to meet and experience a wide range of people and cultures. One of his favorite fan groups was the Scotland support; their energy, passion, and sense of community are unmatched, and he loved every bit of his time with them.
Photo: Bismark Akoto in front of World Cup fans at the Boston Fan Festival
One moment that has especially stood out for Bismark was during the Ghana vs. England match at Gillette Stadium. He captured a clip that ended up going viral, racking up 7 million views. The clip was featured on Instagram accounts, like Pubity, NEW, Oh My Goal, Interesia World, and CBS sportsgolazo. When asked about how this moment resonated with him, Bismark replied, “It’s the kind of moment that reminds me why I do this.”
Looking to the future, this experience will not only be a wonderful addition to his resume, but it has already introduced Bismark to journalists and photographers from around the world. Some folks that he has worked alongside have said they’d invite him onto future projects and have offered to be his guide if he ever visits their country. These connections, according to Bismark, are the most treasured takeaway from this experience.
Photo: Bismark Akoto at the Ghana vs. England World Cup game on June 23rd.
For our World Cup fans, Bismark is rooting for Ghana, his country of origin, but he admits that he enjoys the French national team as well. He even had the chance to take photos with each member of the Ghanaian team and to photograph their training sessions! Unfortunately, Ghana was knocked out by Colombia during the Round of 32 on July 3rd.
Photo: Bismark Akoto with Emmanuel Mensah Agbeble (known by his brand name APM World Mag or APM World), a Ghanaian-American photographer, filmmaker, and creative director based in New York City.
Anyone can find Bismark Akoto’s work through his Instagram @marrk_graphy. He is also building a new website titled Marrkgraphy.com, which will launch in September!
Experiences like these are amazing for our students, so we do our best to prepare them for life beyond Thomas. With your support, Thomas students can run with these experiences and know that we have their back. Make a gift to the Thomas Fund to support every student!
Photo: Bismark Akoto posing with members of the Ghanaian National Team (listed from top to bottom) Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, and Inaki Williams.