Hi! As you heard, I’m Dexter Gardner, and I’m hoping to one day design video games. Why video games? I think that there is an incredible opportunity in video games to give people power and bring people together. Not everyone has the same abilities, and I believe that video games have the power to empower. From a first-hand experience, I know what it’s like to feel powerless. Recently, I struggled with some mental health issues and was hospitalized. I felt isolated, not just from my friends and family but from myself. I felt that I had no control in my life. And then I rebooted Steam, an online game market. Playing video games was hard in my condition, but it was challenging and rewarding. Beating a level in a game like Celeste made me feel strong enough to face my real life challenges with determination. I want to make video games to give people this same feeling. Now, say I’m able to attend the NYU summer program, earn the 6 college credits. What will I do with this experience? I want to design for disability. Like I said, not everyone has the same abilities and there is not enough support for that in the current game market.  I want to create games with feeling. I want video games to be an extension of the self, a tactile tool to create agency where there is none. I want to write stories with real messages and real people. I want to represent what our world looks like. In short, I want to empower and I want to reward and build strength in those who feel like they’ve lost theirs. Alright, you might say, go ahead! Attend the program! Well, I can’t. I simply can’t afford the 12,000 dollar price tag.

Not without help. With enough support, I can attend this summer program and make a difference in not just the game market but video games themselves. There are so many opportunities I want to explore. With new innovations like VR and AR, the possibilities are limitless. A new way to tell stories. A new way to experience. A new way to make music.  The goal is high but I’m going to try anyway. I think I have a future in game design and I’m going to pursue that dream. Thank you!