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From Avid Gamer to Game Designer
Computer Camp at UC Berkeley Brings out Career Possibilities for Twelve Year-Old Girl
Hard core gamers love to spend their free time in front of the computer or the television, playing games into
the late hours of the night. One of the world's leading pastimes, gaming triggers the imaginations of millions
inviting gamers into unknown worlds where success is always an option.
Students from all over the country have always enjoyed playing video games. Twelve year old Kynndal Cornelius
is no different. Kynndal savors the unique worlds, graphics, characters, and creativity of each game she plays.
While reading a gaming publication, Kynndal discovered iD Tech Camps, a summer program for ages 7-17 that offers
technology courses at prestigious universities like UC Berkeley and Stanford University. Excited by the idea of
creating her own computer game in the Video Game Creation course,
Kynndal brought the camp to her parents' attention.
Kynndal's mother Dedee recognized an amazing opportunity for her daughter. "I felt that being around other
kids who shared Kynndal's love of gaming and technology would not only be a wonderful social experience for her, but
also a conducive environment for learning while having fun at the same time, " said Dedee Cornelius.
Dedee was also thrilled that her daughter would actually create her own game, rather than playing games all day.
With an average of 6 campers per instructor, Kynndal had a lot of individualized attention. The course focused on
individual attention and customized instruction so campers could excel according to their own ability level.
Kynndal's mother registered her for a week of camp at the UC Berkeley site and immediately knew it was the right
decision. "Kynndal felt comfortable with the instructors, learned how to create a game, produced an impressive
game, and came out of her shell at camp," said Dedee Cornelius. Using Stagecast™ Creator, a program
that builds “sims” – simulations, interactive stories, and games, Kynndal learned how to design a game with
multiple characters and multiple levels.
"My game was a space game where you had to tag enemies and earn points," explained Kynndal. "The
player was a space ship that had to defend itself from aliens that tried to attack the ship. I downloaded backgrounds
from the internet and the bonus round had the shape of the first letter in my name (K) as the figures you needed to
tag for points." Kynndal enjoyed showing off her game to her mother at the Family Showcase open house. Towards
the end of the week, Kynndal had fun experiencing being a game tester as she beta tested her classmates' games.
"Now when I play other games, I can appreciate how long it took to design them, and I can't help critiquing
the use of graphics and sound," said Kynndal. "What a fun job it would be to design games!" For twelve
year-old game designer Kynndal Cornelius, the possibilities are endless.
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