img1

2021 Activision Blizzard King
Aspiring Womxn* in Games Scholarship
​​​​​​​*female-identifying (cis, trans) and non-binary

PAST SCHOLARS


To inspire you to apply to this scholarship, we interviewed a few of the previous scholars from 2019, to find out why they applied and why they chose to join the games industry! 
img1

Andrea Garcia Fabregas - Junior Level Designer
What made you apply for the Aspiring Womxn in Games scholarship?
I had been interested in applying to King for a while whilst I was a student in university but the Aspiring Womxn in Games scholarship especially called out to me because I would have the opportunity to meet other women in the company early on, with whom I could share the experience with and, of course, the amazing experience of a trip to GDC for a person like me who was just starting off their career in the video game industry. The knowledge I could gain whilst I was there from the industry was something I was really interested in.
What was the highlight of your time at GDC?
Where to begin? The trip itself, the other Aspiring Womxn in Games scholars that shared the journey with me, the convention, the mere size of it was one of the first things that impressed me, the incredibly talented people we got the chance to meet and talk to while we were there, and so much more. It was truly an incredible experience.
What do you do at King now?
I’m a Junior Level Designer at the Malmö Studio. I work primarily on Pet Rescue Saga and I also help support Bubble Witch 3 when needed.
What from GDC did you take back to your work at King?
One of the main things I took back was the environment. You could feel game development in the atmosphere at GDC, the game industry has such a unique cooperation, collective and celebratory feeling when you are in it and I think King also shares that. As well as many of the learnings I gained from all the talks I could attend and the friendships I gained with the other Aspiring Womxn in Games scholars.
img1

Clémence Descharles - Junior UI Designer 
When did you first realise you had an interest in the games industry?
I think I decided to be a part of this industry during my years in secondary school. I always played video games and have fond memories of my brother and I playing together on consoles and PC when we were young.  Art was one of my passions too so at first, I wanted to work in an art-related field but also wished to be part of a group and create with other people. In the meantime, new schools and universities teaching video games were emerging. As a result, I realized working in the video game industry could be an opportunity for me to be creative on products I always loved.
Did the games industry having a majority male workforce factor into your thinking?
To be honest, I never took this into consideration. I never doubted myself working in video games because it was a majority of male. I always believed that when people apply for a job, they should be considered for themselves and their skills.
What do you do at King now?
Today I am a Junior UI designer at King in Barcelona, in The Lab department. We are specialised in creating experiments on several games to test new possible features for Candy. I am currently responsible for the visual part of Farm Heroes Super Saga alongside another Junior UI Designer taking care of the ads side of the game. I am also involved in the creation of wireframes and prototypes with the Game Designer to define our ideas and examine them during user tests.
What from GDC did you take back to your work at King?
To me, GDC is about sharing experiences and knowledge and also reflects the state of our industry. Thus, I think it is essential to keep in mind that we don't work isolated, but together to create great experiences for people around the world. We want them to have fun and cheer up when they are down, especially now. So, my takeaway would be to stay open to new ways to improve, learn from others and have fun doing so!
img1

Angehlica Wallin-Halling - Level Designer 

What do you do at King now?

I am a level designer on Candy Crush Soda Saga.

When did you first realise you had an interest in the games industry?

I was studying movie and TV-production, but I felt like something was missing. It wasn’t until my school started up a game developers program that I realized I was missing the interactive part of the media I wanted to work with. After that I did my research on how I could change course and enter the game industry. 

What made you apply for the Aspiring Womxn in Games scholarship?

GDC and E3 were always on my bucket list and I’ve used GDC talks for learning for years and was hesitant to apply at first, it seemed too good to be true. I received a lot of positive encouragement from recruiters and classmates which helped me gather the courage to apply.

What was the highlight of your time at GDC?

The excitement from the first day when we first got our badges for the conference. I had my schedule from the GDC planner ready, in a building full of other game developers and with the others who got the scholarship and my heart was just FULL.
img1

Ilke Misirlioglu - Junior Graphic Designer 

When did you first realise you had an interest in the games industry?

I had always loved playing video games and making mods, but for a long time I didn’t think working professionally in games would be achievable for me. It was during my second year of university when I met someone in the industry and thought I could actually give it a go and it would be an achievable goal. 

Did the games industry having a majority male workforce factor into your thinking?

The games industry is definitely becoming more diverse and welcoming to new talent, but the most visible and prominent individuals are still mostly male. It didn’t really put me off but seeing that the Aspiring Womxn in Games scholarship was something King was promoting in order to give a chance to marginalised genders; I thought this might be a great opportunity to try and maybe contribute something with my own point of view as a non-binary individual. 

What do you do at King now?

My internship was in the Farm Heroes Saga team as a Game Art intern. Now I work as a Graphic Designer in marketing, creating graphics and marketing materials for new & upcoming King games. Currently I’m mainly working on Crash Bandicoot: On the Run which is incredible! It’s an amazing feeling to know that my work is enjoyed by millions of people around the world.

What was the highlight of your time at GDC?

For me it was definitely the people I met there from around the world, who I never would’ve met otherwise. A lot of them I’m still in contact with now, almost 2 years after. There are so many networking opportunities at GDC I highly recommend making the most of them. Also, going to GDC talks from a variety of summits really broadened my horizons to how games were actually made. 

LEARN MORE

img1
img1
img1
img1