Meet Joshua Blatnik
A year ago, a UAT postcard in the mail sparked a new journey for Joshua Blatnik. Postmarked from Tempe, the mailer arrived in his hometown of Eveleth, Minnesota, and inspired him to learn more about the technology-fused curriculum on offer. Soon enough, he was starting his very own UAT adventure as an Advancing Computer Science major. Joshua didn’t have to swap the cold weather for the dry heat, though — as a UAT Online student, he can still maintain his full-time work in Minnesota without sacrificing his educational pursuits.
What’s more, Joshua was able to focus on his interests with the UAT Online model, in which all coursework is geared toward technologically-savvy individuals and their needs. He became interested in a career in the field of software engineering in particular after tinkering with some unsatisfactory server setups while playing Grand Theft Auto V. Little did he know that learning server modifications for fun would eventually lead him to his career path! At 19 years old, Joshua now already has more than four years of programming experience in a diverse offering of languages, including C#, Java, JavaScript, and Lua.
Although an online student, Joshua has still connected from a distance with the UAT community and feels a sense of camaraderie due to a near ubiquitous shared love for video games.
“It's hard to describe UAT students. They're very technology-focused people, they crave video games. And that's why they're interested in attending UAT. A lot of them are Twitch streamers. They're very involved in the internet space. And that's how I think of the culture: Everyone's kind of doing their own thing on the internet. And then we're all together in the same class.”
When not gaming, working, studying, or programming, Joshua enjoys being active outdoors through mountain biking. One of the things he is most looking forward to in his college career is gaining an internship at a well-known technology company, such as Microsoft or Samsung, in order to achieve his future goal of becoming a software engineer.
Meet Kennedee Cameron
Hailing from Maricopa, Arizona, Kennedee Cameron is a Digital Video and Digital Marketing dual major. She arrived at UAT with passion and ambition, and immediately felt like she was among her people.
“I would say the UAT community is like the Shire from The Lord of the Rings. It's like everyone is like you in a way. One person can be different from you and very unique — but you can always find a common ground or something you both agree on.”
Kennedee says that in addition to UAT looking like “a good crowd,” she liked that the curriculum allows her to study her interests from the start.
“Compared to other universities where you have to take all these other classes first if you want to focus on your major, at UAT [general education requirements] still help you focus on your major.”
For Kennedee, she is especially exhilarated by the fact that there is always something new to learn as “every quarter is really a new quarter” at UAT. She arrived with knowledge in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, but has already learned so much about new areas related to digital video that she didn’t anticipate, such as the intricacies of lighting and effects in video production and editing.
As for who motivated Kennedee to pursue this academic and career path, she credits her high school graphic design teacher, Maria Pour, of Maricopa High School. Mrs. Pour inspired her to learn all she could about design, and even perhaps consider a future career teaching teenagers in this field.
For now, Kennedee is absorbing as much knowledge as she can at UAT to work towards a dream career working for Marvel as an editor or digital marketer one day. She says one of her biggest goals would be to someday work with James Cameron. When Kennedee isn’t busy with schoolwork, she likes to spend her time creatively expressing herself through editing on her phone, writing, and even community theatre — she will soon perform in the ensemble cast of a Maricopa Community Theatre production of Heathers: The Musical.
Meet Tyler Jones
A freshman with a passion for technology and a drive to pursue animation, Tyler Jones, a Game Art and Animation major, didn’t have to go far geographically to start his UAT journey. Amidst the vast landscape of college options, UAT stood out to this Arizona native for its intimate size and welcoming community. For Tyler, the allure of a small campus promised an environment where he could explore his academic pursuits without feeling overwhelmed.
“What I really liked about UAT is that it's not too big of a college. Big colleges, for me, would be kind of overwhelming. Here, there are just two buildings, and it's easy to know where to go.”
Tyler has already gleaned valuable lessons from his time at UAT — even in areas he didn’t anticipate, such as in the realm of language and writing. A creative writer at heart, this has been a welcome surprise for Tyler. He cherishes the opportunity to hone his craft and refine his skills, to weave compelling narratives that captivate audiences.
“I really like to create my own world, my own characters — I'm full of creativity.”
As a video game lover, Tyler is interested in potentially learning additional skills, like coding, to try and create his own games. He feels right at home in a place where he says “pretty much everybody” likes gaming.
“UAT has a great culture and sense of community. The people here are very wide open and very supportive. Faculty especially, are very supportive.”
Though he’s still in his first year at UAT, Tyler has no shortage of ambition when it comes to where he hopes his technology-centered education takes him. His dream career would be to work in the video game industry. As a detail-focused individual, Tyler hopes to lend his talents to the more meticulous elements of animation — focusing on 3D modeling, lighting, texturing, or any other areas that need extra attention.
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