WM: Peter, can you please give us a quick introduction about yourself?
 

PA: Well, I am the son of Angela Achim, the Elementary Art teacher, and I attended AISB all my life, from EC3 to 12th grade. I have gone through a lot at AISB: I have made so many friends from so many nations as well as met wonderful teachers, so I feel like I have come out of the experience blessed and thankful. I was so blessed to have been accepted by two universities with unconditional o ers, decided to attend the University of Cumbria and studied Digital Arts with a focus in Game Level Design. Currently I am looking for a job in the industry, but have been fortunate to hold internships and other jobs in the meantime.
 

WM: What did you imagine you would pursue as a career when you were still in high school? How has your experience in high school influenced the decision to pursue your degree?

PA: I have always wanted to pursue a career in Computers or IT due to my love for all forms of technology. But after my 10th grade Personal Project, which honestly was my favorite part of high school as I got to choose what I wanted to do, I felt like this would be a great path to follow. Even though AISB is amazing, at the time, it did not o er many chances to choose Arts and Technology. So, because of the Personal Project and the robotics courses that I got to take in 10th grade, I decided to pursue a career in Digital Arts and 3D Models.

WM: Tell us more about your University studies.

PA: At University I studied The Art of Games Design and Digital Arts. I mainly focused on 3D art work, but also dabbled in Environment Art and enjoyed it, even thought it was only a course.

WM: How have your university experiences been di erent to your experiences at AISB?

PA: The main thing about university that I loved more than AISB was that I did not feel like I was doing any work at all. I enjoyed everything I had to do.

WM: What obstacles did you face during your time at university?

PA: I feel the main obstacle I faced while at university was having to balance doing chores in the house as well as my work and I wish I had gotten more practice at it. It was not di cult to pick up quickly what I had to do, but it was challenging.

WM: What can you tell us about your nal project and the road to completing it, including your London show?

PA: Well, my nal project took me about 6 months to make. It is a racing game with a twist, where you are a remote-control car instead of an actual car. You race around different common areas looking at the world from a whole new perspective. I had to model and create all aspects of my game. This would include: arti cial intelligence, textures, sounds and music.

The reason I could take my project to London was because a board found my game fascinating and interesting.

Wanting to make my project even more compelling and interesting, I made an arcade machine and 3D printed 4 of the cars in the game. I have to tell you, I believe it was very successful as my game was never free of people.

They were always asking questions and playing the game, some even coming back to play it again and again.

WM: How do you nd life now that you graduated from university?

PA: Now it is very hard for me to nd a job in the industry. It is important for future students to build a lot of industry connections and relationships in order to get a foot in the door. It is also important to not be afraid to get a side job, as a store clerk or a barista, to earn some money while you continue working on your projects on the side.

WM: What are your goals for your future?

PA: One future goal is for me to start my own game company so that I can make the games I like. But don’t expect the company any time soon, as I would like to get a bit of experience in the industry rst and also to complete a Masters course.

WM: What advice do you have for the high schoolers that are thinking about a career in the same eld as you or debating whether to do the IB or not?

PA: Well this one is hard as I feel the IB system helps you learn about handling a heavy load, but if the school does not supply the classes you need in IB, maybe you have a reason to take some of your classes as IB certi cates. You can also ask if you can have a class to improve the skills you want under supervision of a teacher that is willing to do so. I did only certificates due to AISB not providing the classes I wanted or that applied to a BA in Games Design.

WM: What is your greatest achievement in life thus far, professionally or personally?

PA: I feel like my greatest achievement so far is getting through this all with my family by my side, as well as being in another country for the last 3 years by myself. On top of that, getting a First on my nal project, which is the highest grade you can get in British universities.