What’s Next For ETC’s Class of 2025

As this year’s graduates from Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) prepare to step into the next chapter, we caught up with five graduating students to hear where they’re headed, what drives them, and how their time at the ETC has shaped their journey. Whether they’re headed straight to a full-time job at a game studio or still aren’t sure of their next project, they’re certainly not short on big ideas. Here’s what they had to say.

What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?

I just accepted a position at Schell Games as a Production Fellow!

What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?

During my final semester, I worked on an independent study that turned into a short interactive graphic novel that I designed, illustrated, and built on my own. It was a deeply personal project that helped me explore and reflect on my identity. I’m excited to continue developing it and hopefully share it with the world one day, though there’s still a lot of work ahead!

How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?

The ETC taught me how to collaborate across disciplines and work closely with people from a wide range of backgrounds. It is no doubt a skill that’s tough to master but incredibly important, especially in production and product roles. I also really appreciated the creative freedom I had at the ETC. I got to work on projects I truly cared about, and that space to experiment and grow helped me gain confidence in both my ideas and my ability to lead.

Tell us your favorite ETC memory!

Definitely going to Ghana, meeting students there, and getting to see them play the game we made. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I don’t think I would have had the opportunity if it weren’t for the ETC and for our project StepUp.

What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?

I am taking a full-time job as a Technical Artist at Electronic Arts Shanghai.

What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?

I am excited about contributing to an AAA video game franchise. Since I worked on the project before in my last internship, I know some of the systems will be cutting-edge in the industry. I really look forward to learning more.

How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?

The ETC gave me the ability to effectively communicate with people who have different backgrounds from me — especially when it comes to technical art, which is interdisciplinary by nature. As part of my daily routine at the ETC, I talked to artists, programmers, designers, producers, and supervisors — something that’s very similar to the work environment I’m going to be part of.

Tell us your favorite ETC memory!

Definitely my first semester here. Everything during that period is pure fun, and it contains all of the ETC’s philosophy. We made our Building Virtual Worlds (BVW) worlds in such a short time, and later, my team brought our world we made in the fourth round to GDC and the Cleveland Public Library. The West Coast Trip was also a dream experience for me. It was amazing to get the chance to visit companies that made the games and movies I loved as a kid.

What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?

I will be working as a Technical Artist at Applied Intuition, a vehicle software company based in California! I’m also planning to start on my indie game passion project.

What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?

I’m excited about the various fields I get to explore as a technical artist! Currently, my internship experiences have focused on tools and pipeline development. While this will be a major part of my incoming full-time job, I will also have opportunities to work with shaders, graphics, game engines, and more.

How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?

ETC has taught me how to work in a team and collaborate with people with different backgrounds. It also gave me hands-on experience managing real-world projects under tight deadlines, especially during the project semesters.

Tell us your favorite ETC memory!

My favorite memory at ETC is my first ETC Festival! It was incredibly exciting and satisfying to see children, parents, alumni, and others play and enjoy our games. It was such a pure and memorable experience that reminded me of the motivation and meaning behind creating art.

What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?

I will be moving to San Mateo, CA to work at Roblox as an Associate Developers Communication Manager.

What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?

I’m excited to learn about the gaming and tech space through Roblox — it’s an interesting company that toes the line between the two worlds. I’m also excited to get to know the many ETC alumni on the West Coast, some of whom have already reached out to me!

How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?

When I started at ETC I didn’t know what a producer or community manager was let alone that I wanted to become one. This department opened my eyes to other roles in the gaming industry besides just programmer or artist. The ETC also gave me a lot of opportunities to hone my networking skills, which helped a lot during the interview process.

Tell us your favorite ETC memory!

I really enjoyed the Adventure Module when I was in my first year. The friends I made there are still my friends today, and it’s what inspired me to become a TA for ETC Fundamentals in my second year.

What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?

I will be a Game Design Fellow at Schell Games. It’s a studio I love and where I’ll get the opportunity to work with incredible people on challenging projects.

What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?

I’m excited to create experiences that I can be proud of along with my team, to turn dreams into things we love alongside people we love working with, and to make the world a little brighter along the way.

How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?

During these two years, I figured out where I was coming from and why — I also discovered where I wanted to go. All the courses and projects, from the very first semester, have inspired me in this way.

The greatest lesson I learned while at the ETC was that ‘impossible’ is just a prototype waiting to happen. It’s the dreamers who dissolve boundaries into breakthroughs, and it’s only when people respect and like each other that they can make impossible become possible.

The support I’ve received from my ETC family — peers, friends, faculty, staff, alumni —- has been enormously helpful. I’m thrilled to be part of it going forward and continue helping others.

Tell us your favorite ETC memory!

There are so many sparks in my ETC memory! But the biggest, brightest, everlasting memory belongs to Flow. Through my project Flow, I found not just creative fulfillment, but also an amazing team, thoughtful mentors, and lifelong friends.

Flow is now an award-winning experience — featured at the SONA Immersive Storytelling Festival, winner of the Interactive Award in Communication Arts, and an SXSW Innovation Awards Finalist. It’s also a permanent LED installation in Shenzhen, China.

Outside of Flow, I also loved the other work I did at the ETC, including serving as head TA for Building Virtual Worlds, producing a project with the Moonshot Museum, and working as creative director and producer for team ImmerX.