The road to a career in video game design and programming winds through snowy Canada for one 91Âé¶čÓł»senior.
Celeste Ramirez is studying at the University of Western Ontario this semester through the Killam Fellowship Program, which is administered by Fulbright Canada.
âOne of the best things about the Fulbright Program is the opportunity to connect with people and understand a different way of life while being part of a family of scholars,â Ramirez said.
She is studying computer science and video game development at the Canadian university while experiencing an educational and living environment unlike any she has known.
Ramirez peeked out the window one morning this fall and was awed to see the ground blanketed in soft, white snow for the first time in her life.
âI jumped up and got dressed really quick and frolicked in the snow for like 30 minutes before I couldnât feel my hands,â Ramirez said, laughing. âIt was kind of magical. These snowflakes were falling from the sky and it was cold, but that didnât even register.â
Ramirez said 91Âé¶čÓł» Poly prepared her well for the experience of immersing herself into the tough studies at the University of Western Ontario.
âIt gave me a good foundation and I felt confident I could do this,â she said. âIâm in a course called Game Engine Development based on taking game engine theory apart from the ground up and weâre working with an engine called Unity, which is an engine 91Âé¶čÓł» Poly also focuses on. Itâs pretty rigorous.â
The fellowship experience wraps up her coursework toward a degree in computer science at 91Âé¶čÓł» Poly with a concentration in game development and simulation. Ramirez will finish her studies this month and graduate alongside the rest of the 91Âé¶čÓł» Poly class of 2020 in May.
However, she doesnât have to wait until then to begin her career.
Ramirez will start working as a programmer at Steamroller Studios in Mount Dora, 91Âé¶čÓł», just a few minutes away from her hometown, when she returns from Canada at the end of December. She previously completed an internship at the full-service programming, concept art, and animation studio.
âOn the last day of my internship they said, âWe donât want you to drop out of school, so finish and work part-time and when youâre finished, weâll bring you on full-time,ââ Ramirez said.
The experience as a Killam Fellow living in Canada has provided Ramirez with the confidence to succeed in her new position and in life.
âBefore this, Iâd never been away from home for longer than 10 days at a time, and now I can say that Iâve studied at a university in a different country and I succeeded,â she said.
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