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Student Spotlight: Sarah Blackburn
It’s been all fun and games for this senior individual studies major
University News |March 15, 2024
It’s all fun and games for VWU senior Sarah Blackburn, who is in the process of developing a brand new video game. As an artist and storyteller, the individual studies major from Fredericksburg, Virginia believes that child-like wonder isn’t just for children.
“I can’t imagine a world without games,” says Blackburn. “A world without games would be a world without play. It would be a world without fun! Games can be educational and build confidence. Games are great in groups or alone; they can bring people together or create fierce competition – sometimes both! The power and versatility of games has always amazed me.”
Blackburn credits the support and assistance she’s received at VWU with helping her to create an individual path for studying professional game design. She worked with her faculty advisor, Dean of the Batten Honors College and Professor of Theatre Dr. Travis Malone, to map out her individual studies major with a concentration in game design. The result has been a unique combination of coursework focused on art, computer science, communication, and English, with courses such as “Intro to 3D Modeling/Printing” and “Intro/Advanced Fiction Writing.”
“The major requires one to be versatile from both a technical and creative standpoint and to have the ability to take criticism and adjust the project even if it changes from the initial plan. Dr. Malone and I have worked hard over this past year.”
As a member of the Batten Honors College, she was also granted an eye-opening study away opportunity in Finland during the fall of 2022. She says the experience encouraged her to broaden her personal definition of gaming.
“Anything can be a game,” she explained. “That’s the most important thing I learned during my time abroad – how to use game design as a tool to think outside the box.”
Blackburn also recounted the ways VWU has inspired her to learn outside of the classroom – particularly through her involvement in campus life.
“Attending and leading events on campus, I can critically assess the design of elements that are intended to be interactive and entertaining, and directly apply that knowledge to game design. I’m able to see what does and doesn’t work for player engagement in real time.”
Currently, Blackburn is working on her senior capstone project, an original video game concept she calls Project G.O.D. In this detective-style game, users can choose to play as different figures from multiple world religions as they work to synthesize clues and uncover the game’s storyline, as well as reveal each character’s personality and motives. She plans to release the game as a playable website at the conclusion of the spring semester.
During her years at Virginia Wesleyan, she’s also has led the Half-Baked Club and Campus Ministries’ “Deep Conversations with Non-Experts” group. She is a member of the Culinary Council and works for Sodexo in catering.
After graduating from VWU, Sarah is considering internship opportunities at Google Play Studios and NVIDIA, as well as an information technology position with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Story written by Brooke Underwood '24