My project mentor, Dr. Steven LeMieux, has been endlessly supportive over the past two semesters. Not only has he been an invaluable source of guidance when I’m forced to make difficult creative decisions, but he has been genuinely, endlessly excited about the development of my project, which is more than I could have ever asked for. 

I met Steven almost a year ago in a section of Composing Digital Media he instructed. Although the class wasn’t especially suited to my interests, I enjoyed the creative, customizable assignments. For one in particular, I wrote a piece of interactive fiction inspired by a poem I had written the previous year. That was the beginning of The Counsel in the Cave. I remember enjoying the experiment, but not thinking much of it. 

At the time, I knew I was interested in the Creative Arts Fellowship. However, I didn’t feel I had an idea worth proposing or a mentor interested in supporting it. But near the end of the semester, I received a piece of inspiring feedback from Steven, specifically towards my work of interactive fiction. I could tell he was genuinely excited by the project and interested in seeing it developed further. At once, both my problems were solved, as I realized I had a project worth proposing and a mentor interested in supporting it right in front of me. 

Since I began work on my project, with the exception of a long break between semesters, Steven and I have met almost weekly to discuss my current direction. He’s read and reviewed my work with a critical eye, offered guidance as I navigated the creative process, and pondered far out possibilities for my project. I think the most crucial part of having a project mentor like Steven has been the support he’s shown as I navigated a new, challenging creative process for a long term project. It’s been hard work, and my mentor has helped me overcome the struggle. 

More than anything, I’d like to connect with like-minded game developers. There have been a few opportunities for me to collaborate with fellow student developers at Pitt, but for the most part, I’ve felt a little lost in finding a space to connect. Connections in the industry are incredibly valuable, but I’m also looking for people at my level who might make good collaborators, creative peers, and friends. 

I’d like to say I have a dream-team in the back of my brain and an idea for a project ready to go, but I don’t. Like I’ve mentioned, I just haven’t made the connections. There’s no one that comes to mind. I think my ultimate professional, creative, and personal goal is simply to make games with friends. Small game studios like EXOK inspire me to pursue this dream.