Video game design hopeful Kyla Gorman was awarded the 2009 Penny Arcade Scholarship, which she says she plans to use to pursue a degree in game design at the University of Southern California.
"I'll be forever thankful for the opportunity the PA Scholarship has given me to attend USC, one of the world's best game design curriculums," said Gorman. "I've already been able work on several trial games including a board game called Spacewolves that I designed with some friends. Look out gamer community, I'm coming up!"
While at Hamilton College, Gorman was a computer science major and creative writing minor. Her biggest interests seem to be in the intersection of story telling and game design.
The annual PA scholarship, established in 2006, is available to college students interested in pursuing a career in the game industry. The winner is selected based on service, leadership, character, financial need and the potential to make a positive impact on the game industry.
"We're grateful at how much the community has supported us over the years and being able to assist bright new talents like Kyla is one of the ways we try to give a little back," said Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade. "Kyla shows the kind of passion and excitement for creating games that ensures the rest of us will have innovative titles to play in the future."
Application information for the 2010 scholarship will be available in spring 2010.