GameDevJack
College
When I started at the University of Washington in 2015, I, like many other people, was not fully sure of what I wanted to study. Originally I had thought maybe mathematics, but quickly dropped that idea for music, then psychology, and physics. Towards the end of my sophomore year, I was lost, and running out of time.
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Out of the blue, I decided to try out a linguistics class, and an intro to computer science class. I'd always had a love for learning languages, and I was at the University of Washington, a world-renowned CompSci school so why not?
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I instantly fell in love with both classes. Linguistics and Computer Science were like 2 sides of the same coin, like a puzzle that I needed to solve. Unfortunately I didn't have time to study both, as I was already 2 years in. Seeing as I was at UW, whose CS program was notoriously difficult to get into, and starting late, I decided to major in Linguistics, but still take as many CS classes as my schedule allowed. The intent was to return to UW for a major in Computational Linguistics.
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Although my trajectory has taken a different turn, I don't for a second regret my college years. I was opened up to so many new experiences, including trying dance for the first time, becoming treasurer for a startup fraternity chapter, and traveling abroad in New Zealand. I don't think I would even be on this course if my eyes weren't opened during my time at UW.
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However, I do one day hope to use my Linguistics degree. My ultimate dream is to work on new video game AI systems, that use procedural text (or even speech) generation to make more interactable NPC behaviors that react to what the player says and does. But that's far in the future and I have a lot to learn before then...
Microsoft: My Career Turn
Once I graduated college, I had intended to take a year off to work and save up money before I started grad school. As luck would have it, the job I landed to save said money was at Microsoft, on their TestX team working on the Xbox Series S|X. I'd always loved video games, and though I had never really considered them as a career choice, I thought this would be a fun way to spend my year saving money.
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Once again, I found myself falling in love. From the people I worked with, to the content, to the testing processes, I knew that this was the industry I wanted to work in. After spending over a year at Microsoft, during which I got promoted to team driver and lead my own team, my contract there was ended, and I was left with a decision: return to UW to pursue my Masters in Computational Linguistics, or pursue a career in the video game industry.
The Return to School
After doing some research on schools, I decided that the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) was the best choice for me. I had also applied to some other schools like DigiPen, but they would require getting another degree, and I felt that a more streamlined 2-year course would be a better fit for me.
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AIE allowed me free reign to explore my interests and skills. The program encourages collaboration with other students, setting up game jams and productions that allow students from all 3 disciplines (art, design, and programming) to come together and make something their own. Just a couple months into my 2nd year at AIE, I knew I had made the correct decision. And as much as I love being a student, I find I can't wait to graduate once again and see what I have to offer.