This is perhaps a weird informal portfolio entry that I do not include on my résumé, but it showcases why I want to enter the game industry more than any of my other projects. For me, video games are about community. This is a personal project I have worked on for years and still continue to this day. It is a map of PokéStops and gyms at Alondra Park and El Camino College near my home for the game Pokémon GO.

When I began, the area only had a handful of PokéStops and gyms. Over several years, I carefully studied how Niantic’s S2 cell system worked, learned the rules for gym creation, and nominated dozens of new stops. I mapped routes across the campus and park so players could move naturally during events, and I made strategic choices about which locations became gyms. Back when I had the time, I even led a small community every Wednesday for raid hours and raid days, so I wanted to make sure we had the best possible route.

By the time I was done, the area had grown to over a dozen gyms and nearly a hundred PokéStops. It became one of the best places in the region to play Pokémon GO, and it continues to be a hub where hundreds of players gather for raids, events, and community play.

I no longer have the time to lead my community every week, but I still return during special events. It always brings me joy to see people having fun and making memories with friends and family because of something I helped create. That lasting impact is a reminder of why I want to make games: to design experiences that connect people and bring them together.