“I always loved playing video games and decided at some point I wanted to be a video game designer. At my high school, I’m on the journalism and yearbook staffs, where I’m very involved in graphic design and layout. I’m at Richland discovering what I want to be, and with the video game industry developing so quickly, there are more and more chances I can succeed in it.
 
“In Jeremy Roden’s classes, I like how if someone falls behind, he gives them the chance to catch up. I also like how he designs all of his assignments to challenge and develop each of our skills. Since I’m still in high school, I do find my classes a little intimidating — I’m the only girl in my classes, for one thing, and everyone else is older than me. Sometimes they’re all talking about the latest video games, and I just don’t have that much time to play right now, with so much schoolwork. But I’m really excited about what I’m learning since my ultimate goal is to be a video game designer.

“I want to transfer to UTD; they have a gaming program in the Arts and Technology Division. I really didn’t know when I started that I would have so many options. People specialize in very specific areas. There might be a whole group on a project just for concept, lighting, design or the whole story. There are so many things I can do with the skills I’m learning here.”
 
Naveen Syed is a high school senior at Bright Horizons Academy in Garland. She has attended Richland College through its concurrent enrollment program for high school students since summer 2006.