Elijah Parent
"Games are such a diverse form of media, allowing players to experience enjoyment through a combination of storytelling, competition, self-expression and a huge number of other potential facets. It is this flexibility that makes creating games so appealing to me. In my degree, I enjoy the hands-on work that is a part of many classes as it allows me to gain direct experience creating functional projects."
Hometown
Tucson, Arizona
To me, the InfoSci experience means...
The opportunity to explore a wide range of fast-growing fields of study around technology, data and behavior, which provides new perspectives on our society.
More about me:
I am studying Game Design and Development because I have played games since I was very young, so I have seen firsthand how powerful the experiences provided by games can be. Games are such a diverse form of media, allowing players to experience enjoyment through a combination of storytelling, competition, self-expression and a huge number of other potential facets. It is this flexibility that makes creating games so appealing to me. In my degree, I enjoy the hands-on work that is a part of many classes as it allows me to gain direct experience creating functional projects.
My goal is to work in the game audio space one day, specifically with dynamic and interactive audio implementation. I find this more technical implementation of audio in games fascinating, as the added layer of interactivity present in games poses a unique challenge not found in film, for example. It is for this reason that my Honors thesis project this year will involve creating a game that utilizes audio as a core part of the game mechanics—requiring both creative gameplay and audio design.
Outside of making and playing games, I enjoy playing instruments—especially the bass guitar—and creating music. I also enjoy rock climbing (in fact, I currently work as a coach for a youth rock climbing team), playing volleyball and working out.
I would encourage new students to ensure that they study something that they are truly passionate about. Choose a field of study that you have a strong desire to understand, and finding the motivation to learn about it will not be difficult.
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