Why did you choose SCA? 
I chose SCA because of the option to do a specialized program of focus like Game Design. Not a lot of colleges can offer high quality classes on more niche topics, so when I heard that there was a games division in the Cinema School here, I jumped at the offer!

What's been the greatest challenging of coming here?
Balancing the work-life balance between classes, a job and personal time was definitely one of the more challenging aspects of being here. In the beginning, I struggled a lot with managing my workload for classes and my part-time work.

Is there a particular project you've worked on or are working on that you're proud of?
One of the projects that I've worked on since joining SCA is a physical field-game called Ideal Meal. I started it in the first semester of my freshman year here, and it quickly grew into something way beyond what I could have possibly imagined. The game is a team-building style game where players are 'chefs' trying to complete whacky challenges while wielding JUMBO SIZED CHOPSTICKS! After that semester, I was asked if I wanted to participate in a post-production/publishing class with Ideal Meal. Through the class, I got to showcase at various events, and even ended up later showing at E3! (You can learn more about Ideal Meal by going to www.idealmeal.games)

Any advice for prospective students interested in your major?
If I were to chat with prospective students trying to get into the Games Program in SCA, I'd offer two main pieces of advice.  The first is, SCA is looking for creative talent, and you don't have to be skilled in game design coming into the program. USC Games can teach you how to design, but everyone here is already a passionate creative, and they bring their unique perspectives to all of their game projects. The second piece of advice is about portfolios. If you're struggling with your portfolio, keep in mind that design is all about the process of creating, and because of that, it's 100% okay to have unfinished work in an entrance portfolio, especially if you can go into detail about your thought process/why things did or didn't work the way you wanted. 

Kai Nyame Drayton-Yee is earning her B.A. Interactive Entertainment & Game Design '21, and from Oakland, CA.