My story into software and games development could be seen as a last-minute decision. After finding little drive or joy from my A-Levels, I made the choice to take a different path at college, where I studied a Level 3 BTEC in Computer Games Development. I have always been fond of video games, with some of my earliest memories being that of watching my parents play Crash Bandicoot. Naturally, I took to the programming quite easily, in no small part thanks to my father, who is a senior software developer of many years. Having found the path that I failed to find during my time with my A-Levels, I continued my studies at the University of Huddersfield for an undergraduate's degree in Computer Games Programming*. After three years and a placement year, I finished my course with a 2:1 and began my search into development.

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My first position was as an app developer at Red Frog Studios, based in Salford. It was here that I would begin my first steps into the development world. I was brought in to work on a then yet unannounced project, unfortunately due to some complications on the client's end, the project fell through and my time at Red Frog was sadly cut short.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic that happened soon after, I took some time to improve some of my skills as the job vacancies began to slow as companies were understandably swept up dealing with the ensuing chaos. I began learning to develop apps using React and Swift, and although they were only basic run-of-the-mill tutorial apps, they gave me a good insight to developing for iOS and Android and the differences to building programs for PC.

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Alongside this, I was approached by Immersia Ltd. to help them create (on a voluntary basis) a dating app to help couples who are stuck in lockdown to still interact and go on dates. The app was to be developed as a combination of a standalone iOS/Android app, with an integrated Unity environment. The main premise of the app was not to connect new partners like traditional dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble, but rather to give a virtual date for existing couples to go on. The project was definitely an exciting journey to be a part of, and spanned a few months. As the first set of lockdowns were starting to ease, I left the team in search of formal employment.

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Eventually, I was taken on by Prox & Reverie, a VR studio based in Doncaster, UK. Originally hired on a trial basis of three months, my hard work and dedication to learning a new and unfamiliar medium in the form of virtual reality, I was hired full-time to work on a vast number of project spanning a wide range of applications, from immersive entertainment pieces to teaching tools for schools and industries alike. I was also responsible for the more unexpected sides of these projects, such as minor voice acting and even motion capture!