My earliest gaming memory is of watching my dad play Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. I don’t remember much about it, other than that I was quite terrified of the velociraptors with rocket launchers. That initial fear did not deter me, however, and I quickly developed a love for video games. I had no real notion of a favorite genre back then. I simply enjoyed learning about the world and mechanics of any game I could get my hands on.

        From a young age, I knew I wanted to do something with computers. Though rather than pursuing game development right away, I opted for a broader technical education that could be useful in multiple fields. I studied Computer Science at DePaul University for two years, and while I definitely enjoyed programming, I found I wanted to create meaningful experiences, not just develop software. I shifted my focus to DePaul’s game design program, which was the best decision I ever made.  Video games have bonded me with family members, helped forge some of my strongest friendships, and shaped me into who I am. I wanted to contribute further to that space, and build games that could impact others as they did me. 

        I left DePaul with a strong and well-rounded education, but I wanted to push myself further. I knew I would be more empowered to create meaningful games if I developed my programming skills, so I sought to specialize in Technical Design. This led me to apply to the University of Central Florida’s masters program “Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy” in 2016. FIEA helped hone my scripting and design skills, and connected me with some amazingly talented individuals. Before graduating from the program, I accepted my first job at Pocket Gems.

        I started creating content and events for War Dragons, and I quickly learned how passionate the community was about their favorite game. I became quite active on the War Dragons forums and started appearing on Twitch.tv streams, where I got to meet and learn from the game’s most dedicated players. I’ve played a lot of games, and, for me, the most memorable ones have been those with strong communities and engaged developers. I empathize strongly with players of the games I work on, and I strive to strongly engage with my games’ communities and create player-first content, features, and events that inspire faith in those games’ futures.

        I am currently working as a Game Designer at Pocket Gems on Adventure Chef: Merge Explorer, where I handle content development, systems design, and event creation. When I’m not engaged with games at either work or at home, I can be found caring for my two plants, planning my next DnD session, or perfecting my latest dessert recipe.