{"id":1976,"date":"2023-01-18T11:58:16","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T11:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idsc.miami.edu\/magazine\/?p=1976"},"modified":"2023-08-02T17:19:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T17:19:26","slug":"game-and-interactive-media-design-student-casey-obrien-is-living-the-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idsc.miami.edu\/magazine\/game-and-interactive-media-design-student-casey-obrien-is-living-the-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Game and Interactive Media Design Student Casey O\u2019Brien is Living the Dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CaseyCasey O\u2019Brien<\/a><\/strong> is only months (and a capstone project) away from completing her Master of Fine Arts in Game and Interactive Media Design<\/a>. A week after she graduates, O\u2019Brien will start her dream job at her dream company, working on her favorite game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up playing games, from elementary school into college,\u201d said O\u2019Brien. \u201cMy mom would always tell me: \u2018If you don’t make money from this one day, I’m going to be very sad.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Mom O\u2019Brien will get her wish, but not without a course correction. Casey earned her B.S. in Marine Sciences<\/a> in 2020, and seemed to be ticketed for a non-game-related career path when she had a revelation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy senior year, I needed one more elective, and my friends recommended taking a game design class. I’m like, sure, why not?\u201d said O\u2019Brien. \u201cI took it from Professor Lindsay Grace<\/a><\/strong>, who is now the head of my program. I had a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Game and Interactive Media Design program is unique because it requires both creative chops and coding abilities.<\/h4>\n

Spring 2020 meant COVID, extended Spring Break and remote classes. O\u2019Brien realized she loved game design more than any of her Marine Science classes. After graduating, she was accepted into the MFA program.<\/p>\n

Like a Fish to Water<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Game and Interactive Media Design program<\/a> is unique because it requires both creative chops and coding abilities. O\u2019Brien started a little behind on the coding part\u2014most of her Marine Science experience was statistical\u2014but received a lot of help from Kim Grinfeder<\/a><\/strong>, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Interactive Media, Dr. Ching-Hua Chuan<\/strong><\/a>, and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to teach myself coding, but I was struggling,\u201d said O\u2019Brien. \u201cI took a class called Creative Coding, which emphasized both the code and the logic behind it. Professor Chuan was absolutely amazing; she made sure I understood.\u201d (pictured L to R: Lindsay Grace, Kim Grinfeder, Ching-Hua Chuan)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Lindsay<\/center>
\nO\u2019Brien was also inspired by one of Grinfeder\u2019s classes, in which small groups were given a client and a project. O\u2019Brien\u2019s group worked with the Miami-Dade Fire Department, developing a game that would teach fire safety to middle schoolers\u2014a tough audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a hard class, but it was incredibly rewarding,\u201d said O\u2019Brien. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget the presentation day and actually handing the package over to the client. I thought, wow, we really accomplished something.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Perfect Internship<\/strong><\/p>\n

During summer 2022, O\u2019Brien picked up a prized internship through NextGen Talent<\/a>, working on the systems team at Apex Respawn<\/a>*. This would have been a tremendous opportunity for anyone, but it had special resonance for O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n

\"Casey<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played Apex Legends\u2122 since the first day it was released,\u201d she said. \u201cI spent two weeks writing my cover letter because I wanted it to be so perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n