As a high school student, Fatema Zaman was passionate about coding, but often worked alone due to the lack of young women like her who were interested in computer science. Then she participated in EA Orlando’s “Get in the Game” Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) Camp where she found an inclusive community of students and mentors with shared interests.
Launched in 2018 at the Tiburon studio in Orlando, the free program is part of EA’s ongoing commitment to using video games to connect and engage students in STEAM education and was designed specifically for rising 11th and 12th-grade young women and non-binary students in Central Florida who are interested in pursuing careers in STEAM or related fields in the video game industry.
A select group of students are invited to participate in the weeklong program to “level up” their coding skills with instruction from technology experts and hands-on video game development. They also enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at EA’s world-class technology and tools, and receive coaching and mentorship from the software engineers and artists credited on iconic games such as Madden NFL and EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR.
Zaman was already familiar with EA because her cousins loved playing EA SPORTS FIFA. When she learned about EA’s Get in the Game program, she figured it would be a great opportunity to learn from well-respected professionals. She was not disappointed.
Throughout the week, Zaman was challenged to create her own video game and had the opportunity to participate in coding lessons led by professional game developers, including women credited on Madden NFL.
Karen Rush, senior director of operations for EA Enterprise & Platform Services, has participated as a mentor since the camp’s inception. She noted, “The program offers so many short- and long-term benefits that I didn’t have the same access to when I was starting out in my career, which makes me that much more passionate about facilitating these opportunities for those who come after me.”
Zaman was also able to utilize EA’s proprietary technology and tools, play coding games and engage with mentors who shared their personal experiences about the industry. She even got to delve into the world of cybersecurity, learning how competitive game creation can be and how to carefully craft an online identity.
“Whenever I have coded games, I’ve always done it alone. This opportunity was able to show me how nice it can be to trust your team and delegate responsibilities,” shared Zaman. “It also taught us to find innovative solutions when we had issues integrating our individual work. The benefits of working with a team means you can overcome problems you face together, which was really rewarding.”
Aligned with the mission of downtown Orlando’s Creative Village to deliver a live, work, learn, and play ecosystem that supports Central Florida residents “from cradle to career,” Get in the Game is one of EA Orlando’s several STEAM education initiatives that offer unique EA SPORTS experiences while fostering a more inclusive and diverse talent pipeline.
Jocel Thornhill, director of operations and program management for EA Tiburon, said, “The program's purpose is to help bridge the gap for women and those who identify as non-binary in technology. We’re excited that students who participate in the program are able to get a deeper understanding of computer science and software engineering while also feeling empowered to leverage those skills for future success in college and in their careers.”
During summer 2021, Zaman interned as a “Pathfinder”(early-undergraduate) at EA while pursuing her degree in computer science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is one of five Get in the Game graduates who have interned at the studio. Two students have even been hired full-time after graduating college!
“My advice to girls interested in pursuing a career in STEAM is just to do it. It may be a male-dominated industry, but from what I’ve seen, the higher up you go, there are more females in advanced positions,” noted Zaman. “I didn’t see this modeled as much at the high school level, but it’s important to build a support network that will help you find opportunities like I did with EA, which was a great overall experience. It gave me a new appreciation for gaming.”
Applications for the “Get in the Game” STEAM Camp typically open in early spring. Keep an eye out on our website for the application link.