From a young age, Michael Kim has been a gamer. His tastes evolved over time from playing WiiSports on the couch with his brother to collaborative, exploration games with friends.

“I really like games where you work with your friends to achieve something a lot bigger, right?” Michael says, “you express yourself in this new space and you get closer together through your interactions. I find that really cool.”

Entering the School of Interactive Arts & Technology (SIAT), Michael initially saw a university education as simply a path to a well-paying career, possibly in UX/UI design. However, as time went on, he found courses that encouraged his creative expression and chasing his passions.

“Going into my third year, I was in IAT 312 Foundations of Game Design and that really stood out to me because it not only showed that, you know, gaming isn't just limited to a hobby, it's taught at university and it can be a way to capture someone's creativity and artistic expression. It spoke to me and I'm actually glad that I went down this path.”