Meet Some of Our Game Art Students

For my Computer Arts degree, there were several options in Europe for exchange programs. Champlain was the only one in the USA which was interesting to me. I wanted to go to Champlain because it seemed like a really fun and friendly community. I went to the exchange program presentation led by previous exchange students. I was really excited after the presentation, finding out there were so many clubs and student activities. I had my own club at Abertay but without much engagement. I run one now by the same name of Jukiyo club and the club members are now all my closest friends here.

The OISS office run by Jessa Karki is my first point of contact for any issues or questions that I have as an international student. Jessa is really helpful and is a good advisor for when I'm struggling with anything. I have also found many professors to be understanding of my status as an international student, as well.

I think having professors in the industry has been really helpful in preparing me to choose the right specialization and career path in Game Art after graduation. 

I really enjoyed Game Entrepreneurship, which was a virtual Montreal class. We worked with real industry problems and data in our case studies, which was really interesting.

I was at Champlain's open house, and I remember going to the Game Art and Animation presentation. They were very honest about what was to come if I wanted to be a game artist. The professor explained that Game Art was one of the toughest majors on campus, and that there would be very little free time if you chose to go down this path. My dad told me later he was listening to this thinking "oh gosh, that's a tough sell. Grace probably doesn't want this." But when he looked at me, I was inspired. I wanted a major that was challenging, something that pushed me to be better, and in some ways, something that would prove to myself that I could accomplish any task in front of me. I found that environment art combined the two things I love the most: mathematical problem-solving and art.

I was able to create a drag show in my second year for a core class that questioned gender expression and how much confidence and self-worth ties into how one presents themself. I brought a bunch of friends together and had them take a series of surveys before, right after, and a few weeks after the drag show that asked about their mental state and self-worth during those times. It was incredible to see just how much self-worth and confidence can be tied to the way people present themselves and how opening the door to things like drag shows improved many people's self-confidence and self-worth. As an experiment, it also brought to life how dressing certain ways can put you into a box you may not be comfortable with and how, even if you find you like the way you present yourself currently, gender expression and fashion experimentation allow you to find a place where you feel the most confident with yourself.

I have recently accepted a Junior Environment Artist position at a company called Raven, and will be moving out there this summer. I am excited to further my career from this point forward, and I am very grateful for the opportunities and growth I have gained at Champlain College.

Reflecting back on my time at Champlain, these past four years have been absolutely insane. Regarding my major in Game Art, from day one, students are taught the fundamentals and principles of art and design and the history of game development. Champlain College's Upside-Down Curriculum offers students the wonderful opportunity to explore their field of study from the very beginning. Students are pushed to go above and beyond, and to unlock their highest potential. The teachers and faculty from the different game majors work hard to provide students with the right resources and skills to prepare them for the industry, and after reflecting back on where I was four years ago in comparison to where I am now, I can certifiably say that the most passionate and dedicated individuals who pursue this field will graduate from Champlain with all of the right tools, skills, and resources that the industry is looking for.

It opened up my mind to a greater understanding of the unfathomable life experiences of others, which can be dramatically different from my own life experience. Karma is a collective experience, not just an individual one. Everyone is influenced by the way each of us shows up in the world. I grew to enjoy it, and I've learned an incredible amount about the world and current issues we're working through, on both a personal and global scale.

First, don't be afraid to ask for help. Your teachers, your peers, and the Career Collaborative are all here to help guide you and support you on your journey to developing your skills, passions, and aspirations. Second, know your limits, and break those boundaries even when all seems hopeless. If you don't push yourself, you don't go anywhere. Fail when you can, and learn from those mistakes (just don't do it your senior year!). And third, there may come a time when you will ask yourself: "Do I have what it takes to make it?" The answer is yes. You CAN do this! Be bold, be daring. Love what you do, and learn how you can contribute and help others. In turn, they will help you to succeed.

The Upside-Down Curriculum has been so beneficial to me as a learner that I cannot imagine being in a program that doesn't utilize it. The amount of genuine experience I have received in my field has put me in a position that allows me to develop critical skills every semester starting right away.

My first semester at Champlain, I was given the opportunity to join one of the Champlain College Esports teams, and beyond that I have had a blast participating in student-run events such as Game Jams and movie showings. I enjoy these activities because they are run by students, for students. Therefore, everyone has the opportunity to influence these activities and make them exactly how they want them to be.

What surprised me about Champlain was myself. Oftentimes the first years come down with 'imposter syndrome,' and I can say that it hit me hard. I was afraid that I couldn't live up to the expectations. What surprised me was how much potential I had within me, and how these classes could drag that potential out and allow me to do things I didn't think were possible.

Through the curriculum at Champlain, I've been able to create a portfolio that has landed me multiple job offers. The Game Studio hosts many company visits and mixers, through which I've been able to make connections and a mentorship with an industry professional. The mentorship helped me not only get a job offer, but also allowed me to learn from a professional who was currently in the field and apply the skills I've learned.

My favorite class was Advanced Seminar in Environments, which I took during my semester abroad in Montreal. The professor was a tough industry veteran who worked at Ubisoft. It was the hardest class I've ever taken, but also the most rewarding. There were only 4 students in the class. The class size was so small! We each got a lot of attention and the professor was able to push us to our limits.

I studied abroad in Montreal during the fall semester of my junior year. The courses were excellent because they were all taught by industry professionals who were still working in their field and teaching us during the night. The school also took us on many company visits, tours, and cultural events throughout the semester. 

I was able to take an advanced French course, and it was great to finally be able to put what I learned to use when speaking to locals.

I knew I wanted a smaller school, and I also knew I wanted something game-related. Reading up on Champlain's robust game majors was very exciting! I was especially interested in going to Champlain after hearing about the production sequence and actually getting to make real games. What sealed the deal was the location. Having grown up in Connecticut, I knew I wanted to stay in New England. Sure it's cold, but in the fall it's less cold! And look at those trees!

I worked for five semesters at the Emergent Media Center, which gave me a lot of important experience working with actual clients on real projects, and taught me more about the production cycle hands-on! I've also been a Resident Assistant on campus for two years, which really helped me come out of my shell socially, built up my confidence as a leader, and introduced me to a lot of responsibility!

I participate in the Champlayers drama club. It's a small group of people who I consider good friends, and they're incredibly supportive and talented. I love being able to get on stage and make people laugh and have a good time. I also attend Climb Champlain, which is a great way to get physical and hang around with a bunch of really passionate climbing folks.

I had an advisor at Education USA Russia, and she met Jessa Karki (Director of Student Services) at one of the educational fairs and gave her my contact info. From there, I looked up Champlain online and read more about the Game Art program.

I was really drawn to the Game Art program because I wanted to gain some experience in digital arts. I liked the curriculum and the fact that Champlain is in touch with so many game studios. One of the key factors for me was how attentive and nice Jessa Karki was, and I was immediately more drawn to the school based on that.

I worked at IDX in the beginning of college, then as an Orientation Leader, Peer Coach in the Career Collaborative, and an Admissions Intern at the Admissions Office. I think each one of these jobs made me more organized, and I learned a bunch about working with people, which is a really useful skill to have wherever you work. Three of these positions were leadership positions, and I definitely became a more confident person, too!

I think my game classes helped me become a harder worker and improved my work ethic. I used to be a competitive person, but working with so many talented artists made me more of a collaborator. I also got to talk to a lot of people who have been in the game industry for decades, and I feel like I have gained some very useful knowledge about it and have more realistic expectations.

I was involved with Champlain College Esports from the first week of my first year to the beginning of my junior year. It was one of the best decisions I ever made because I met so many cool people and really felt like I found a place for myself at Champlain. The connections and friendships I made have been really great, and I did a lot of graphic design work for CCE so I was able to build a portfolio for that. I never expected to get involved with Esports at all when I got to college, but it was one of the best choices I made.

Two positions I really enjoyed having are being a Student Ambassador and being a Game Art Tutor. 

Being a Student Ambassador is such a great way to meet a new group of friends and start feeling more self-confident. SA really focuses on how to talk to people, how to represent yourself and the school professionally, and how to think through situations quickly and handle them with ease. I've become a much better speaker ever since I started giving tours, and that has helped me with so many things from giving better presentations for my classes to being able to communicate more effectively with the people I collaborate with. Game Art tutoring is a super rewarding job because you can do it when you're a senior and actually be able to apply the knowledge you've accumulated over the past three years of college to help other students. It's been great actually learning how to articulate what I do specifically in the programs I'm using so that I can clearly communicate how to fix an issue or show a person how to do something without confusing them. I find that I learn more about the programs I use by teaching others how to use them.

I was surprised with how much I fell in love with the sunsets over the lake. I genuinely would schedule my meetings in the library right around when the sun would set so I could see the sunset over the entire horizon. It's absolutely breathtaking, and I'm so happy I can sit in awe in front of my window every night and watch the sun fade into the mountains that frame Lake Champlain.