Hi! I’m Paige and here’s some information about me:
I’m 24 years old and a junior gameplay programmer and game designer. I will be graduating from Southern New Hampshire University in November 2024 with my Bachelor of Science in Video Game Programming and Development. I have a unique background with skills in various fields including software development, IT, project management, and even music!
I’m incredibly passionate about video game development and video games in general. I was introduced to video games at a very young age, as I remember my dad sitting crisscrossed on the living room floor playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time with his “notes” (walkthrough he printed out from online). Or when I got a little older and my family purchased Rock Band 1 for Christmas in 2007 and the four of us grabbed an instrument and played all day.
Today, I enjoy games from all different genres, whether it be from a AAA or an Indie studio. One thing I’ve grown to love about the modern games industry is the communities that are built by content creators and players. Additionally, I believe in positivity and empathy towards other players especially in online PvP games. No one wants to play a game to relax and have fun and instead be berated and insulted because they were pressing buttons in a way someone else disagreed with.
Game Development
The first “game” I ever created was a short and very simple text-based dungeon crawler. I programmed this in Python in my first ever programming class. While yes, I did learn the basics of programming and Python in this course, my most valuable takeaway was not necessarily the skills I learned. Rather I discovered that programming is a way to express creativity, for me. After leaving music school, I struggled to find creative outlets, but learning to write code taught me that really anything is possible, as long as you can find a way to program it.
As I got further into game development at school and we began using Unreal Engine, the realization only became clearer and more obvious to me. Through practice and repetition, my programming skills improved and I began to think like a programmer. Not only did I improve at programming, but the big concepts of video game and software development began to fall into place as I started taking more challenging courses. Working with graphics, 3D models, images, audio, and all other assets outside from source code became easier, which massively increased my confidence. This led to a cycle of constant skill improvement, leading to more confidence, ultimately growing my passion for game development even more.
def _instructions_(): # User can call this during game to recall instructions
print('Instructions: ')
print("Travel through all rooms in the Labyrinth to find and collect all 6 shards of the Soulbreaker Dagger.")
print("Once you have collected all 6 shards, find the Keeper of the Ledger and defeat him.")
print()
def _commands_(): # Travel and collect items
print('Type "go north, go south, go east, go west" to travel in a direction.')
print('Type "speak" to speak to someone')
print('Type "help" at any time to view this list of commands again')
print('Type "inventory" at any time to view your current inventory')
print()
def _introduction_():
print("You've arrived at the Labyrinth, enter if you wish.")
print()
def _room_(room, character, dialogue, item): #use whenever the player enters a new room
global _current_inventory_
global _next_action_
length = len(_current_inventory_)
global current_location
current_location = room
while True:
if current_l
continuedef run_dcu_scan():
# Variables
path = "C:\\Program Files\\Dell\\CommandUpdate\\dcu-cli.exe"
path_secondary = "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dell\\CommandUpdate\\dcu-cli.exe"
checkpath = Path(path)
scan = '/scan'
output = []
num_updates = None
try:
# Opens a new subprocess to run dcu-cli.exe /scan
if os.path.isfile(path):
result = subprocess.run(f'"{path}" {scan}', shell=True, capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
elif os.path.isfile(path_secondary):
result = subprocess.run(f'"{path_secondary}" {scan}', shell=True, capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
# Store the output in a list
output = result.stdout
# Displays the output of the dcu-cli
print(output)
# Handle exceptions
except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
print("Error: ",
e) # Ex. Command '"C:\Program Files\Dell\CommandUpdate\dcu-cli.exe" /scan' returned non-zero exit status 4.
error = str(e)
if "exit status 500" in error:
num_updates = int(0)
print("No updates available for the current system.")
if "exit status 1" in error:
print("Reboot required.")IT Expertise
In addition to my experience as a game developer and programmer, I’ve so far had a successful career in IT/Tech Support. I started at Micro Center as a service technician where I performed hardware repairs on PC and Macintosh computers and built over 100 gaming computers myself. I then worked at Apple as a Technical Expert, then promoted to Genius, where I worked with customers to troubleshoot their iOS and MacOS devices. I provided customers with either a software solution or a hardware repair, depending on their preferences and needs.
Most recently, I was employed at Autajon Packaging in Nashua, NH where I was an IT Helpdesk Technician. In this position, I was able to reduce the time to resolve tickets from an average of 193 hours, down to 53 hours within six months. On top of my helpdesk duties, I often assisted with System Administrator tasks, including maintaining vital infrastructure by monitoring and maintaining network switches, Active Directory, virtual and physical servers, security systems, and Office 365. I also contributed to the continuous improvement of the company and the IT department by developing scripts and programs to automate and streamline our operations. Most notably, I developed a script in Python to completely automate Dell Command | Update processes, eliminating the need for users to initiate updates manually.
Currently, I am employed as an IT Help Desk Lead with Billerica Public Schools in Billerica, MA. This position enables me to practice leadership skills, as I directly supervise our team of Help Desk Technicians.
Musical Background
One fun fact about me, is that before I became a programmer, I used to be a professional musician. I’ve played the trumpet since I was 7 years old, totaling 14 years that I’ve been playing. In high school, I achieved numerous forms of formal recognition for my playing abilities, as well as performed and placed in several competitions. Because of my success, I decided to pursue a degree in music. I started college in 2018 at Boston University, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Classical Trumpet Performance.
While at Boston University, I had the incredible opportunity to study under Professor Terry Everson, which if you’re unfamiliar with his work, you might recognize him as the principal trumpet player for the Boston Pops’ Fourth of July celebrations. Additionally, I worked very closely with undergraduate and graduate students who all performed at an incredibly high level. Accolades included traveling to perform at the National Trumpet Competition in 2019 with the BU trumpet ensemble, and most notably, my performance as a soloist with the New England Brass Band in March of 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions put in place in Massachusetts meant that music students (specifically those who needed to remove their mask to play) were unable to perform together. I stuck it out for two semesters, but before the Spring 2021 semester I decided to take a leave of absence, which lasted one year. During that time I worked full time at Micro Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts where I learned more about technology and became more engrossed in video game culture. Once I returned to Boston University after my leave of absence ended, my love of music school had faded, and I found myself missing the culture of video games and technology that I had been a part of for the last year. As a result, I made the difficult decision in early 2022 to leave Boston University and pursue a career/degree in Video Game Programming and Development from Southern New Hampshire University.