Andrew Griffin

Cameron Belcher

What made you choose Champlain College?

I found my love for the Game Programming major after going to Champlain’s summer Game Academy program. I decided the teaching style was a perfect fit for me, and I was drawn by the culture of Champlain as well as their connections to the game industry.

What has been your favorite class?

My favorite class so far would have to be Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Games. It was a real turning point in finding out what specialization I wanted to pursue. Now I’m working on a game called Cash Force, where I am combining my knowledge of artificial intelligence and Unreal’s vehicle to create AI for our game.

Have you had any jobs on campus?

I worked with other students on an augmented reality (AR) project at the Emergent Media Center. They were very flexible in adapting our work commitments to our school schedules. During the project, I used all my knowledge from my programming classes and applied it to real life situations.

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Mark Botaish

Internships

Software Developer Intern at LORD Sensing in Williston, VT

How has the Game Studio prepared you for the professional world?

Everyone takes the C++ intro to advanced courses, so you get a really good summary of the language. In order to do well in classes and projects throughout your college career, you have to push yourself and be able to ask questions, pay attention, and learn to work independently as well as in a team. The Game Studio is pretty much on point with what you would experience in the real world.

Can you tell us about the Ubisoft competition in Montreal?

Every year, Ubisoft sponsors a competition with surrounding game schools. They set a theme, and you have 10 weeks to make a game that the audience can interact with. I would say it was one of the most pivotal moments of my college career because we were able to work on such a large team. Usually we are on teams of five, but with eight members we got to make a fully-fledged game to show professionals to judge. It’s a signature piece in my portfolio.

So what does a Game portfolio look like?

In your portfolio, you put most of your projects or finals. I have the game we made for the Ubisoft competition, my Capstone, and final projects from upper level courses I took junior and senior year. Recruiters love to see side projects, and that’s a big culture at Champlain. You work with your friends and make a good game to throw in your portfolio. It shows recruiters that you’re driven, you’re active, and you genuinely enjoy making games.As a game programmer, your portfolio shows off the end product and points out specifically what you did on that project. You might provide a sample of your code and a detailed explanation of how it works. It’s more technical than a designer’s portfolio, for example.

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Dillon Drummond

What drew you to your major?

In middle school, I wanted to be a game designer and started looking up information about what a designer does. When I was in high school, I was lucky enough that my area had a technical school with all sorts of specialized classes. Some of those classes were in programming and we even had two classes specifically about making games. After my first programming class, I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

So far, what classes, projects, subjects, or experiences have been most meaningful or impactful?

I think that the Game Studio classes have been the most impactful. I enjoy all of the programming classes and their topics, (in fact, they are my favorite classes), but it is important to know how to work as a team. Games aren’t typically made by a single person these days. Even most indie games are at least made by a small team. Game Studio classes have allowed me to build upon my teamwork skills and create products that are more than the sum of my own work.

Describe the Champlain community. Did it meet/differ from your expectations?

Wherever you go, no matter who you are, you are almost guaranteed to find a group of people that will accept you. I did not expect to make so many friends while I was here, but now, nearly everywhere I go, I can find someone I know.

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Colin Keilbach

Advice to Students?

Make sure you have time to take breaks. A lot of problems are really easy to solve once you get back from a 15 minute break.

Favorite: Book, Movie, Podcast?

Book: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Inspirational Quote?

“People will think what they want to…Never take too much notice of it.” – John Flanagan

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Grady Mayo

Favorite Class

Discrete Math

Internships

Data Entry Specialist at Propy Inc. in South Burlington, VT

What drew you to the Game Programming major?

I’ve always been a gamer, and while I was working on my Associate degree in Computer Science, I found myself making small games for most of my independent projects. I decided to steer my career towards game development. Champlain came up as one of the top options, and everything I read about the Game Studio indicated that it was well-regarded in the industry and in academic rankings.

How has Core impacted your perspective of yourself or the world?

I’ve had a unique experience with the Core. Being ten years older than my classmates, I have a different perspective on some of the issues we discuss and can bring my life experience into the conversation. It’s interesting to see the similarities and differences in the discussions and topics from when I graduated from high school to now.

What is the best thing about the professors at Champlain?

I get a stronger sense of engagement and interest from the faculty at Champlain than at other schools. The small class sizes make the give-and-take of the learning process more successful. I also enjoy hearing about the career experiences of our Game Studio professors-it’s always nice to know that what we are learning will be useful once we graduate.

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Demetrius Nekos

Advice to Students?

Reach out to peers and professors frequently. Extra sets of eyes can help get through difficult problems.

Favorite: Book, Movie, Podcast?

Book: Monday Begins on Saturday by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky

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Anthony Pascone

Internships

Programmer for Champlain College Emerging Media Center in Burlington, VT

What is the best part about the Game Studio?

Champlain’s Game Studio does such an amazing job of giving students opportunities and connections within the game industry. Because game studios visit campus almost every month, I was able to secure a job at Infinity Ward three months before graduation.

Did you get the chance to study abroad?

I studied abroad in Montreal during the spring semester of my junior year. The experience was amazing and helped me become more independent. I also had the chance to participate in the Ubisoft Gamelab Competition as part of my Production II class. Our game ended up being nominated for four awards, and we all made a lot of connections within Ubisoft.

Have you had any memorable Core experiences?

I went on one of the Core travel courses. You can go to so many unique places, and the one I chose brought my class to Zanzibar in Tanzania for two whole weeks. I learned so much about Zanzibar’s art, culture, religions, and people. It was definitely my favorite Core experience.

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Eliana Perez

Favorite Class

Core: Heroines & Heroes

What has been the most surprising thing about Champlain so far?

The most surprising thing about Champlain so far is how understanding the professors are. Because of our school’s size, I expected them to be less distant than they would be at a larger university, but the professors at Champlain really go above and beyond. They treat their students like people, and they’re forgiving when life gets messy. They will stick their necks out for students to succeed.

Have you had the chance to study abroad?

I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan. It was incredible. The college culture in Japan is so different from college culture in the United States. Even though I was nervous about speaking Japanese, being immersed in the language really helped me develop that skill.

How has Champlain prepared you for your industry?

The Game Production classes have shaped me into a good team member. Being on a ten-person team is much easier said than done, so my communication skills have really grown since coming to college.

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Andrew Rimpici

Internships

Mobile Developer Intern at Rad Magpie in Burlington, VT

What made you choose Champlain?

I was drawn to Champlain’s close-knit community and upbeat atmosphere. Even before enrolling, it was very apparent that every student matters and receives individualized attention. The small class sizes allow professors to get to know each and every student. It also provides professors with the opportunity to tailor their teaching style to the needs of each student.

What is the best part of the Game Programming major?

I really like the amount of intriguing programming courses Champlain College has to offer. Game programming courses are available in graphics, physics, artificial intelligence, animation, and more. In addition to the wide variety of classes offered, I admire how close everyone who takes them becomes. We’re all passionate about what we’re learning, and we’re willing to help each other reach our greatest potential.

Can you tell us about your internship?

Over the summer before my senior year, I worked as a Mobile Developer at Rad Magpie, a non-profit game studio in Burlington. I was responsible for transforming the designers’ ideas into reality in the form of a mobile app for an international client. Having a programming job on my resume gives me a competitive edge, as it shows future employers that I have experience working on real production projects.

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