Meet Our Fellows
We are so excited to share GMG's 2020-2021 Fellowship Cohort!
Several of this year's cohort joined us as virtual staff for GMG's inaugural virtual summer camp, and others on various GMG's programs offerings including Google Play's Change The Game Design Challenge.
2020 GMG Virtual Camp Counselors
Hello all! My name is Alex, and I'm from Michigan! I spend most of my time playing games, or making games! Besides that I also like to read, go on hikes, and I've just recently started trying to learn the guitar (it's pretty tough). A couple of other interesting things about me are that I really like bubble tea, I've gone skydiving before, and I'm working on a multiplayer squirrel-based combat game with some of my friends!
Howdy! My name is Angelina, I'm a rising junior studying art practice, creative writing, and film studies at Stanford! When I'm not napping in odd positions, watching campy 80's movies (bonus if Keanu Reeves is in it), or going on wild tangents about the diversity of aquatic life, I enjoy drawing and spending time with friends! My penultimate dream is to live in a cozy apartment with friends (and a cat!) after I graduate, free to play video games and create to my heart's desire. My ultimate dream? Unfortunately, that one will have to remain a secret for the time being-- I've got to have some secrets around here!
Hi! I'm April, a software engineer and an indie developer from New Jersey. I'm a recent graduate from Rutgers University NB with a Bachelors in Computer Science. I’ve loved video games since I was young. That love turned into a love for drawing, storytelling, programming, and finally video game development! My favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. If you ever ask why… you’re in for a lecture.
As I learn more about the video game industry, I see that developing video games and inspiring marginalized groups to follow their own passion for video games is what I'm meant to do. So let’s make some awesome games together!
Fun fact: I also enjoy dancing. I recently started ballet, while ballroom and swing are my primary dances. I tried figure skating too but haven’t found the time to consistently practice.
Bella is a rising senior at UNC Wilmington majoring in computer science with a concentration in chemistry. During a normal school year, she can usually be found camped out in the library, giving people campus tours, or doing yoga. Though it's hard for her to pick a favorite video game, her favorite game series include the Final Fantasy titles, The Legend of Zelda games, and any game that has a "percentage completed" stat. While studying abroad in Australia for six months, she made a puzzle platformer called "Tomb Tater" which was about a potato adventurer exploring an ancient tomb. In her free time, she also enjoys playing beach volleyball, playing her various musical instruments, and snuggling her dogs.
Heyy! My name is Bri and I am a rising senior at Smith College. I am a computer science major with a specific interest in game programming and design. My free time usually consists of playing games (of course), drawing, and designing/building potential characters and settings/environments I would love to use in my future games. I’ve always been into creative writing, which inspires a lot of my potential characters as well as their background stories. I love pirates and so I hope to create an awesome pirate-themed game one day! I also enjoy animals, anime and music.
I first started gaming with the original Nintendo and the Gameboy, and from there I fell in love with games, eventually getting just about every game console growing up. I love survival, battle royales, and anything with fantasy and adventure so that’s also where the majority of my interest lies. I hope to join a game studio one day to make these interests a reality. Right now, I also want to help other people, especially girls, make it their reality too and so I am excited to be joining GMG!
Hi! I'm Carolyn Goodwine, and I'm super excited to be part of GMG this summer. Starting this fall I will be attending The University of Notre Dame as a Freshman majoring in Computer Science.
Hello, I'm a CSULB Computer Science undergrad with a passion for game development and the desire to spread my knowledge of game development to the next generation. I was introduced to video games at a young age. I grew up watching others play until I was old enough to play my own. Eventually that love for games evolved into a curiosity to understanding game mechanics as well as game design and what exactly makes an enjoyable experience for players like you and me.
Elizabeth is a visual artist, game designer and developer who is passionate about birds. She is currently a game design and business student at NYU with vast knowledge of software tool capabilities, technical ability with an eye for design, and the passion to learn and integrate new technologies in creative ways. Whenever she has time, she loves to create her own games with emphasis on an eye-catching aesthetics and interesting themes.
Hi! My name is Ge, a PhD student at North Carolina State University. I used to be a Master student of Game Innovation Lab at Purdue University. I'm an engineer who enjoy playing and developing video games with my 2 little furry friends, Winston and Teddy.
Grace Pfohl is a rising sophomore at Georgia Tech, majoring in computer science and minoring in business. Interested in education technology and computing for social good, she is passionate about teaching as many girls to code as possible. Game design combines her passions for storytelling and computer science, and GMG allows her to spread her enthusiasm to the next generation of game designers. She is an alumna of the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program, Google Computer Science Summer Institute, and Built by Girls WAVE Program. These enriching programs have been instrumental in encouraging her to study computer science, and Grace believes GMG offers the same opportunity. When not coding, she loves reading almost any book she can get and regularly facilitates book club meetings.
Hi! My name is Ileanna and I'm a rising junior at Smith College. I love programming because it gives me a chance to create new worlds and make creative solutions for the one we live in.
Jasmine is a narrative designer who is currently pursuing her MFA in Interactive Media & Game Design from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She has a passion for storytelling and has worked in numerous different creative fields. After working in film development, Jasmine moved on to work at an augmented reality comic book company before returning to school to study games. Now, she has worked as a narrative designer on multiple games and will be publishing her first novel next year.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JP_Jupiter
Personal Website: https://www.jpjupiter.com/
My name is Jennifer Wellnitz and I'm a PhD student at NCSU studying Computer Science with a focus on personality AI and believable characters. I received my undergraduate degree in computer science from Lafayette College. I actually grew up in Cary and am excited to be back in North Carolina. Games and storytelling have always been hobbies and passions of mine, and I am honored and excited to help share my knowledge and foster that passion in others. I am thrilled to be working here and I can’t wait to start!
Hi, I'm Jingqi and I use he/him or they/them pronouns. I studied computer science at Tufts University, and am an incoming software engineer at American Express. I was a camp counselor at Girls Make Games in 2017-2018. Teaching computer science is one of my favorite things in the world! Outside computer science, my hobbies are photography, painting, and volleyball.
My name is Joseph and I study at California State Univeristy Long Beach for Computer Science. Other than school I mostly spend my time working on 3D assets for teams during the semester and run occasional workshops about the 3D production pipeline.
Hi there! My name is Kaylynn and I’m a currently a graduate student in Computer Science. I did my bachelor’s degree (Software Engineering with a Game Design focus) at Miami University in Ohio, and am doing my masters at the same school. A lot of my personal projects have to do with alt-ctrl and using microcontrollers (I usually prototype with the Teensy LC) to make games and their controllers.
When I’m not doing research, I love playing games like Pokémon, Metroid, Celeste, and Stardew Valley. I’ve recently gotten into Animal Crossing, too, so feel free to send me a DODO code or invite me for a Pokémon battle! I’m also an avid bass guitar player, jam-maker and canner, and a boxer in my local boxing club.
Twitter: @scar_duke
Hi my name is Kiara Correa Acosta, I am 19 years old. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I am in my third year at Smith College in Massachusetts, where I am studying Computer Science and Education & Child Study. I started to code in high school with a program called Code Nation. After learning new things and building websites, I was having a lot of fun and loved the program. It was great being able to create a lot of different things with what I learned. My favorite part about coding is that it is like a fun puzzle that is waiting to be solved.
Lani is currently a Game Design major at DigiPen Institute of Technology and once she graduates, she hopes to be hired as a narrative designer. Before DigiPen, Lani grew up in Silicon Valley playing video games on consoles, handhelds, and PC, as well as board games. When she wasn’t playing video games, she played soccer, basketball, and softball. In addition, she also played the tenor saxophone in her high school’s marching band. In fourth grade, she was introduced to basic block coding in Scratch which led to her love for creating video games. Recently, Lani has started to act as a dungeon master for Dungeons and Dragons but she also enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder.
Hi there! I am Lucas Rogers a Computer Science major who loves to play games, study Japanese, and tutor people who may need help in a variety of subjects. Though programming is my specialty feel free to ask about anything, answers may vary.
Lydia is a graduate of William Peace University and this is her second year working at Girls Make Games. She is inspired by the limitless creativity of others and is excited that she gets to bring her dogs with her to camp this year!
Madison is a game developer that specializes in game audio and implementation. She enjoys cheesy jokes and lazy Sundays (and sundaes...yum.) She loves helping young people create their-own games and is excited for this years Summer camp online!
Merita is a 4th year student at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Art & Design: Games & Playable Media major. She's played video games her whole life and loves the bright, creative worlds that games let you be a part of. She's an illustrator with a history in fine art and oil painting, though these days she mostly makes digital art. She spends most of her time working on concepts and 2D art for student games and personal projects. Merita is really excited to be a part of GMG and to support other girls and their passion for game making!
Hey there! My name is Michael Carrera. I'm currently a senior at St. Edward's University majoring in Video Game Development and minoring in Animation. I've played video games since I was young and grew up playing on every Playstation system as well as most of the Nintendo handhelds. I'm passionate about playing and creating video games as I think they can be used for both entertainment and relaxation purposes. I'm excited to be apart of GMG this year and can't wait to take part in such an amazing program.
Hi! I’m Michelle, and I just graduated from Cornell with a Master's in Computer Science. I fell in love with video games at age ten when I got a Nintendo DS and have been playing ever since. My favorite games include anything Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and Octopath Traveler. I’m so excited to join the GMG team and help others cultivate a passion for video games!
Natasha Reyes is a senior at St. Edward's University currently pursuing a degree in Game Development. Her love of gaming started with Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness and she's been hooked ever since, but her favorite game is Mass Effect 2. She plans to specialize in game art, wanting to help create memorable worlds and characters.
Neha is an incoming senior at Dougherty Valley High School and is a 2019 finalist of Google Play’s Change the Game Design Challenge! She created YuMe, a hidden object puzzle game about a girl trying to find her home on planet Earth. Neha loves that game development combines her passions of art, technology, storytelling, and music, and is currently learning more about virtual reality and animation. She attended the GMG Summer Camp last year, and hopes to connect people of similar interests while inspiring the next generation of game creators. Apart from tech, Neha spends her time dancing, playing tennis, learning languages, watching Running Man, and attempting to befriend the squirrels in her backyard.
2020 GMG Fellows
Recovering child actor and now gaming host, writer and producer Abby Sherlock (real last name, no she’s not related to Sherlock Holmes, he's a fictional character, come on y'all), grew up in good ole South Carolina before achieving her final form as a Forbes 30 under 30 Finalist in Games as an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego.
Some highlights include being broadcast on the live page of Twitch as a personality, leading panels with VAs from Overwatch, appearing on the E3 2018 ESL Gaming stage, speaking for the Electronic Software Association's in their diversity initiative #WeAreVideoGames, and interviewing pro CS:GO players from CLG.
As a Women in Games Ambassador WIGJ, she's seen the gaming industry from multiple angles, from interning at media news and production companies like Geek & Sundry and Nerdist to hardware providers like NZXT. She also worked as a Community Coordinator for Tespa, partnered with Blizzard Entertainment supporting the largest collection of collegiate gaming organizations in the world.
Currently, she is studying creative production at the University of Southern California's Interactive Media Game Design Masters Program in the School of Cinematic Arts as an (IGDA) ™ Velocity Scholar.
Abby Yaffe is a game developer from the NYC area. She is interested all aspects of game development but specifically capable in games writing, UI design, and UI programming. Over the past year, while studying at the NYU Game Center, she has worked at FeralCatDen on their upcoming title Genesis Noir.
Hi, I'm Aleena, a passionate geek just trying to make games. I'm a graduate student at Purdue University studying Computer Graphics Technology. I have a background in mathematics but am also an enthusiastic artist, coder and gamer. I like the outdoors, pets and comic cons!
Hey I'm Alexa, current student from St.Edwards University studying Computer Science and Video Game Development. In between dying my hair every week, I'm playing Final Fantasy XIV with friends or watching shows like She-Ra Princess of Power. While playing video games at age five, I never knew I could make my favorite hobby into a career. Some of the most exciting projects I've done have been creating a board game named "Cactus Capture" with a team of St.Edwards students. I have also recently created my first hand drawn animated short called "Predator". I am very honored to be apart of this fellowship and to meet future developers and current gamers. I hope to inspire them the way they inspire me.
Archika is a Seattle native and freshman at Princeton University. She is passionate about the intersection of humanitarian issues and innovation, especially regarding educational equity and gender-based issues. As the Founder of Innoverge, she created a youth-led initiative of 30+ chapters in 10 countries, impacting 2,800+ minority youths across 200+ free programs. She has also conducted research and interned under Stanford, NASA, University of Washington, and Sensoria Health. As a 2019 Global Teen Leader and Mars Generation 24 under 24, Archika is passionate about education, social equity, and using technology for good while empowering other young people to do the same.
My name is Ariba Siddiqi and I am a computer science student at Ryerson University. Coding has been my passion ever since high school because of its ability to propel my imagination! Currently, I am honing my technical skills while participating in various opportunities such as web designing and content development. I also spend my time giving back to the community through a youth-led grassroots organization I co-founded called the Association of Committed and Engaged Youth (ACEY). We are a collective of students that are dedicated to reaffirming the power youth hold at the forefront of generational change. I am always on the lookout for exciting new opportunities and looking forward to meeting new people in the STEM industry!
Hello! My name is Baishaki Debi. I am a sophomore in Macaulay Honors College at CCNY majoring in computer science. My academic interest lies in Cybersecurity so I've taken this summer to learn more about the field and grow my technical skills. When I'm not busy doing school work, I love to read epic fantasy books like Lord of the Rings. I also enjoy drawing intricate mandalas. I find them strangely therapeutic and calming!
Bec is an aspiring writer and avid cat lover. They are currently working with a small studio as a game designer and writer, as well as contributing to character design. Bec also co-host a weekly gaming podcast that covers a new game each week. In their free time, they can be found playing video games, taking excessive photos of their cat, learning about psychology and communication, or learning to draw.
Hi, I'm Colleen! I love animation, pixel art, coding, teaching, and working together to make amazing things. I'm majoring in Game Design and Development at Rochester Institute of Technology, and I'm hoping to get a chance to work in character design one day.
A recent graduate from the University of Utah with events and marketing experience in the game industry including: HTC, Epic Games, Tespa, and Manticore Games.
Mexican game artist and game designer. Currently attending a Master's degree in Games and Playable Media at UCSC and working in a serious game for Stanford School of Medicine. Creative Director of Knot Me! a 3d adventure about consent.
Lover of spicy stuff and all the games that make me feel similar.
You can follow me: https://twitter.com/faylink
Or check out my portfolio: https://www.behance.net/fatyma
Hi! :) I'm Jesse, a junior at the University of Maryland studying bioinformatics and neuroscience. I'm active in my school's Human-Computer Interaction research lab, excited about finding ways to make information systems more accessible for vulnerable populations, and passionate about empowering the next generation of coders to positively impact the world around them. I can't wait to meet you and celebrate your growth!
Hello! My name is Kristopher Kath and I am an aspiring video game developer/programmer. I love playing games such as Animal Crossing and Divinity Original Sin 2. I am currently studying Computer Science at California State University of Long Beach (CSULB) and will graduate in a years’ time. I am also a club officer at Video Game Development Association at CSULB where I help teach students how to make their own games for scratch! I work as a programmer at Games For Love where we are creating a strategy game called “Battle for the Kingdom” and many other projects. I am excited to see where I am in the next few years and how the video game industry will change to the new wave of developers. Thank you for reading!
Hello! My name is Meghan. I'm an Art + Design major at NC State University in Raleigh, NC. I have a passion for creating environments and creatures and would love to be an environment or creature concept artist in the video game industry. While I specialize in 2D art, I'm starting to learn how to model 3D creatures and landscapes. My favorite games are Xenoblade Chronicles, Monster Hunter Stories, and Galaga.
At home, I have two cats, Shadow and Blackie, and a family dog Zoey. Shadow is my lap cat; he sits on me all day as I'm working.
When I'm not playing games or drawing, I enjoy doing cardio dance, going on road trips, playing DnD, gardening, and watching anime and movies. I love monster movies like Godzilla and Pacific Rim. I also love a good disaster film like Twister, Poseidon, Japan Sinks 2020 (technically an anime), and Into the Storm.
Hi my name is Reva and this is my first year as a GMG Junior Counselor, I have been to the camp for two years prior and on my second year my game made it to demo day. Currently I am pursuing another passion of mine which is comic creation and am publishing my webcomic Unknown Tomorrow on Webtoon, you can follow our instagram @unknowntomorrow_ for more updates.
Hi! I’m Ryan, a junior undergraduate student at St. Edward’s University studying Video Game Development and Computer Science. When I’m not busy playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends or catching up on homework, you can find me at the local coffee shop on campus as a barista! One of my favorite school projects so far has been an audio project where I removed all of the sounds from a DOOM: Eternal trailer and edited my own sounds on top of it, including music and amateur voice acting from me and my friends! Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Final Fantasy XIV online with my friends, or streaming Dragon Age II so they can watch me play! I’m so thankful to be a part of this fellowship, and I’m super excited to help inspire the next generation of game developers!
Originally hailing from India, I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Computer Science in the Principles of Expressive Machines (POEM) Lab at NC State University. My research is in the field of Computational Narrative Intelligence where I work on simulating believable virtual characters and generating narratives for the entertainment domain. With the advancements in Augmented Reality (AR), authors and designers will inevitably be challenged to create rules for the space of interaction, redefining narrative experiences, audiencehood, and promoting a more immersive and reactive experience. I'm interested in how societies of virtual characters can be generated for real world (or locative) environments to create unique experiences and stories for their users.
As an Indian woman, I’ve felt alienated by the industry on multiple axes. I'm excited to be a part of the Girls Make Games fellowship. I feel this experience would help build community, learn about new perspectives, ideas and help me collaborate with the other women in our field. Before this, I worked on entertainment intelligence research with Disney Research, Pittsburgh, and completed my MS Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology specialising in Interactive Intelligence.
I'm Shanice Smith, a current Game Design student from CUNY City Tech. Growing up playing video games with my cousins, I just knew I would love a career in the technology field. Experienced as a Frontend Developer and Data Analyst through previous internships, I'm excited to explore career opportunities in gaming. I enjoy volunteering in my community, attending Hackathons with friends, tinkering with new technologies, and advocating for diversity within the industry.
Sloane Miller is an incoming freshman at North Carolina A & T studying Computer Science. Throughout high school she’s devoted much of her time and energy into nonprofit organizations such as Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code, Chick tech and Girls Rock Math. She’s also been an active part of Jack and Jill of America serving on her local executive board for three years and the national board for one. She has even created her own nonprofit, Kid Tech Express, which is dedicated to closing the digital divide between lower income communities. She is excited to continue her education in pursuit of a better world, and hopes to use her platform and work to show others the power of their voice and the strength we have when we stand together.