Where are you from?
I’m from Long Island, a little suburban town called Garden City. Before going to Georgia Tech, I completed my undergrad in Philadelphia and bounced around a few apartments in New York.
Where do you live now?
I’m currently in New York City.
What have you been doing since you graduated?
I spent a year working at a company called FunGoPlay, which was making a kids’ virtual world. Then I moved on to a company called Arkadium, which makes casual, social, and mobile videogames, and I’ve been there ever since. I’ve also worked on a few freelance and independent game projects since graduation.
What is your current job?
I’m a game designer, working on a game that’s going to be released early next year. Basically, I plan out how the game’s systems and features are going to work—everything from core gameplay elements to what the buttons on the menu screens should say. I’m also doing most of the writing work for this game, which has been a lot of fun.
Can you tell us about a recent project you’ve worked on that you were really excited about?
I can’t talk much about my current project, but earlier this year I was a level designer for a game called Taptiles Saga, which is out on Facebook now. You should check it out!
How do you think the program helped prepare you for your life after Georgia Tech?
The Digital Media program was my first hands-on experience with game creation or programming in general. By the end of my two years, I was able to complete small, interesting projects completely on my own. I had also gotten experience in a game design leadership role in Celia Pearce’s project studio. Besides giving me a good transition into the game industry, I also feel that the program gave me a wide range of skills that’s allowed me to wear multiple hats in my career so far.
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom you would like impart to current or future Digital Media students?
Don’t limit yourself to the program’s curriculum if you have an interest in something that falls outside of it. If you want to develop independent games, for example, you should go ahead and get started—don’t wait until it’s assigned in a class! If you bring your interests up with a professor, chances are good that they’ll support you and give you guidance along the way. You might even get to lead your own project studio!
