What impact do you want to have on the world and why?

When I was nine, I found out that my mom had leukemia. Her absence forced me to play a much larger role in my family. I took my mom’s place in caring for my six-year-old younger sister — I woke her up, brushed her teeth, cooked breakfast and lunch, read bedtime stories, etc.

Being so young, I didn’t have anyone to open up and pour my heart out to. Even if I did, I lacked the vocabulary and eloquence to articulate my feelings and emotions. Furthermore, I couldn’t cry or be vulnerable at home because I had to appear strong for my younger sister. I repressed a lot of emotions and feelings, and it was an extremely difficult time.

My dad worked, so I spent summer at my extremely Catholic grandparents’ house. They had no Internet or television and believed that technology was the Devil. However, I had a Playstation Portable videogame console. Gaming allowed me to escape from a difficult, frustrating world where I lacked control, and engage one where I was all-powerful, supported, and limitless. I had superpowers and abilities beyond my wildest dreams, and could escape my real-life situation and be happy.

Thus, I want to dedicate my life to gaming and spread this gift to others — engender creativity and drive community with UGC and virtual worlds; empower storytellers and visionaries to create games and tell unique stories; empower players to break from real-world struggles and enter worlds of adventure and happiness with the click of a button.