This past March, 10 GDC Scholarship recipients attended the Game Developers’ Conference. We’d love to introduce one of our recipients, Maya D’Amico, a recent Game Art & Animation grad of Champlain College.
ADF: Congrats Maya on being part of the 2023 GDC Scholarship cohort! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi! My name is Maya D’Amico, and as of May 2023 I am a Game Art & Animation graduate of Champlain College. I’d always had a great interest in art and technology growing up, so I knew for a long time that digital art was the perfect fit for me. I’ve come to love the collaborative process of game development over the past four years and I’m finishing my degree with an even stronger drive to learn and grow as an animator! Video games are a form of storytelling that I’ve cherished since I could pick up a controller, and it’s my goal to amplify the stories told in them through the art of motion.
ADF: What was one of the coolest things you learned at GDC?
This is a tough question because there’s so much to choose from! I loved all of the animation summits and seeing so many different sides of animation for games, but I’d have to say the best thing I learned was that it’s okay to be curious and to put yourself out there. The idea of being a student among hundreds of professionals was intimidating at first, but everyone I spoke with gave me so much encouragement! I went back to Vermont with new skills and a lot more courage to take my first leap into the industry thanks to the enthusiasm, insight and kindness I received from everyone I met.
You can find more of Maya’s work at the following places:
- Portfolio: https://mayadami.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayadamico/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Maya_DAmico
You can find the complete list of ADF GDC Scholarship recipients here.