do something BIG!
Meet Sean
Sean, a devoted programmer, gained a solid foundation in essential professional software through iD Tech Camps and iD Gaming Academy. Now at age 18, he has an impressive track record of putting his tech skills to use in personal projects. As his school’s “Director of Technology,” Sean created a website for student government and set up an electronic lunch ordering system to make life easier for his classmates. He is also a published author with a book about XNA™ Game Studio programming currently selling on Amazon®. This summer, Sean will be returning to iD Tech Camps as an instructor to share his positive outlook on technology with the next generation of students.
iD: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What are your hobbies?
Sean: My name is Sean and I’m from California. I spend a lot of time programming – building games, websites and working on other projects. I also enjoy running, shooting, playing video games and spending time with my friends and family.
iD: What courses did you take?
S: I took two video game classes with iD Tech Camps: Video Game Creation Xtreme and 3D Game Design. They were really fun and gave me a great foundation in 3D modeling and level design. I also got the chance to experience life at two different universities – I attended one week of iD Tech Camps in Southern California at Pepperdine University, and the other at UC Irvine. The next year, I returned and attended iD Gaming Academy at UC Berkeley. It was great because we did a lot of work with Maya® and Photoshop®, two programs that I have used a lot since then.
iD: What opportunities did iD Tech Camps give you that you otherwise wouldn’t have had? Did you have a lot of exposure to technology before iD Tech Camps?
S: I dabbled in programming and game design before iD Tech Camps, mostly working on simple websites and modding games. iD Tech Camps helped me get to the next level by guiding my exploration of technology and exposing me to specific programs like Photoshop and Maya. I was able to learn the basics that I hadn’t been taught elsewhere, which was extremely valuable. That firm foundation has helped me to continue teaching myself over the years.
iD: How have you used what you’ve learned with iD Tech Camps? (Any projects or clubs at school?)
S: I have used what I learned at iD Tech Camps as a base to teach myself a lot about programming and design, and have also built a number of websites and projects. As my school’s Director of Technology, I built a website for the student government that includes an online store and a weekend activities calendar with a sign-up system. Students use the website to order food every Thursday and to sign up for trips off campus on the weekends.
More recently, I used what I’ve learned to write a book called 3D Graphics with XNA Game Studio 4.0. The book is a guide to adding a number of effects to 3D games and programs using XNA Game Studio. I lay out the fundamentals of 3D graphics and math and show programmers how to implement graphics techniques like lighting and animation. The publisher asked me to write the book after seeing my personal website, and now almost a year later, it is available on Amazon!
iD: What do you plan to do with this knowledge in the future?
S: iD Tech Camps fueled my passion for programming and now I plan to get a degree in Computer Science. I’ll be spending at least the next four years at Carnegie Mellon University working on my degree. I plan to get a masters degree afterwards, then work in the software development industry.
iD: Did coming to iD Tech Camps help you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?
S: In addition to learning a lot about technology, I made friends and got to spend time around other people who were interested in the same things I am passionate about. I also got some experience living away from home, which is always a good thing and has been helpful in other situations.
iD: How was daily life at camp? What’s your funniest memory?
S: Daily life at camp was a lot of fun. I got to spend time every day learning about the things I was interested in from professionals, and also got to spend time hanging out with a lot of people who were interested in what I was interested in. That was probably one of the biggest motivations for me.
My funniest memory was one week of camp where we had a ticket system. You could get a ticket for doing something nice or making something cool. A few of my friends and I, being the nerds that we were, made collecting these tickets into a science and by the end of the week had accumulated a staggering number of them. It was silly, but it was fun to see how many ways we could earn these tickets.
iD: Any advice for future iD Tech campers?
S: My biggest piece of advice for anyone who is interested in technology and learning about technology is to stay positive at all times. One of the biggest parts of working with technology is trying to fix bugs and problems, so you can’t let it get you down. If you find yourself getting frustrated while working on some project at camp or otherwise, just stay positive and eventually you’ll figure out what’s wrong – then you’ll get to enjoy whatever it is you’re creating!
iD: Anything else you want to share with us?
S: iD Tech Camps was one of the biggest factors that drove me to pursue my passion for programming, web design and game development. Being around other people who are also interested in those things does a lot to encourage further exploration and learning. Next to learning from industry professionals, I think this is the most valuable aspect of a week at iD Tech Camps.
Check out some of the cool courses Sean mentioned. Register early and do something BIG with iD this summer!
