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Girls get in the game
Posted on 07/25/2022
Seven girls stand in front of mural of video game controller

Eight OCPS high school girls had the unique opportunity to participate in Electronic Arts' “Get in the Game” STEAM summer camp, July 18-22, at the new EA studio in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village. 


Four girls present their video gameParticipants learned coding skills and experienced the real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, arts and math in the video game industry. At the end of the week, students presented their team’s finished video game and had the opportunity to pitch it to Daryl Holt, EA’s Vice President/General Manager. He played the games and provided constructive feedback.


“What makes this camp so special is the community it creates among women in software engineering.   The students create friendships that can last through college and beyond, and build mentorships with EA employees that help them navigate the challenges of beginning a career,” said Karen Rush, director of program management at EA Central Technology Office.


EA launched “Get in the Game” in 2018 to tap into the technological talent of rising juniors and seniors and to help diversify the workforce pipeline in an industry that is heavily male dominated. 


“We’re excited for students participating in the program to gain a deeper understanding of computer science and software engineering, while feeling empowered to leverage those skills for future success in college and in their careers,” said Jocel Thornhill, director operations and program management at EA Tiburon. 


In addition to the week of learning, the participants also received an invitation back for next summer and a “golden ticket” that guarantees an interview for an internship with EA if they continue in a career in gaming after high school.


Participants included:

Naibys Alzugaray, University High School
Ramia Ambreen, Freedom High School
Alyssa Rae Connelly, University High School
Sanaa Douglas, Evans High School
Karina Maas, University High School
Ava Mason-Berryhill, Jones High School
Erika Nunez, Apopka High School 
Ayanna Singh, University High School

For program highlights, check out EA's LinkedIn post. There's a great video.