Meet Spencer

Spencer is from Saratoga, CA and has attended iD for 6 seasons at Santa Clara University and Stanford University. He is aspiring to have a career in the tech or film industry as a result of what he’s learned at iD Tech Camps!

iD: What’s your hometown and state?
Spencer: Saratoga, CA

iD: What locations did you attend?
S: Santa Clara University and Stanford University, including 4 years as an overnight camper.

iD: How many years have you attended iD Tech Camps?
S: 6

iD: What course(s) did you take?
S: Web Design - twice; Video Game Creation with Golf; Game Modding I; Digital Video; Special F/X; 3D Modeling with Maya; Game Modding II.

iD: What are your favorite things about our summer camp?
S: iD Tech Camps is in a class of its own. It’s like other summer camps in that the day and evenings are filled with fun activities and games. But the tech aspect is phenomenal. I like the independence from home that I get at iD overnight camps; there is structure, but it is always fun. I feel like I belong there. I can be myself there. I always make friends. I have lots of fun, but never get in too much trouble! Being able to hang out with the friends I make there in the evenings is the best part. I also love meeting kids from other countries and staying in touch with them afterward.

iD: How has iD inspired you?
iD has inspired me to look into different tech fields for my career. The counselors’ experiences, whether it’s their real job or a hobby they may have, have also been inspiring.

iD: Is iD a good place to make friends?
S: Definitely! Some of my best friends, both campers and staff, have come from iD. Most of them live far away, some closer, but I feel that I have a special bond with them. Why? The iD staff is very experienced; they are good with kids and teens, kind and understanding, yet fun. Overnight camp is really amazing because you learn more about everyone since you hang with them 24/7. The kids that go to iD all like tech stuff and so we get along and have things to talk about right away.

iD: What’s your favorite tech gadget?
S: It’s a toss-up between my Apple laptop and iPod. Although, if I had an iPhone, I’m pretty sure that would become my favorite tech gadget.

iD: How has iD helped you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?
S: It has made me more confident and independent.

iD: What do you do for fun when you aren’t at our computer camp?
S: Hang out with my friends, go to football games, movies, and dances on weekends. I help build the sets for my high school’s theater productions. I aspire to do lights or sound for the plays this year. One of my counselors for the last couple of summers, Tech Ninja, who does this work for a living, inspired me to go after lights and sound.

iD: Do you plan to attend college?
S: Yes.

iD: If so, where would you like to go?
S: To a visual or audio arts college. I’m thinking of studying film and eventually directing movies.

iD: What’s the #1 way you communicate with your friends?
S: Via my cell phone, Facebook, MySpace, iChat, and sometimes gmail on my computer.

iD: Any advice for future iD Tech campers?
S: Once at camp, if you find another course you prefer, be sure to tell the counselors, so that you can get the course you like. If you do an overnight camp, be sure to bring everything you need to feel comfortable, like a fan, sheets or a sleeping bag, whatever. Befriend the counselors and go out of your way to make lots of friends. You may find that you like something that no one else likes, but then you meet someone at iD, who lives thousands of miles away from you, who actually likes the same thing you do. Staying multiple weeks is so much more fun because you get closer to your friends and you feel like a veteran!

iD: Anything else you’d like to add?
S: My mother says that if you had a boarding school, she’d send me right away! She said that when she picked me up, I was happier than she had ever seen me.

Check out some of the cool courses Spencer mentioned. Register early and do something big with iD this summer!