Since elementary school, Matt Jenkins, 24, has been busy inventing his own games.

So it comes as no surprise that this former Langley resident was awarded a $20,000 scholarship from Electronic Arts (EA) for a new Masters of Digital Media (MDM) program.

He recently graduated from Trinity Western University with a humanities degree, and now hopes to realize his goal of becoming a game designer and producer, developing non-traditional games that will revolutionize the gaming industry.

Matt Jenkins is in the inaugural year of the new Masters of Digital Media program at Great Northern Way Campus. He was one of three recipients of a $20,000 scholarship from Electronic Arts to attend the 20-month program.

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The 20-month MDM program is designed to teach students the professional skills required to be effective creators, practitioners, and senior managers in the digital media industry.

"I have a guaranteed internship with EA next summer," he said. "If it works out, then there is an option they may pay for the second year."

Jenkins has been enrolled in the MDM for one month now and told the Langley Advance the program is tough.

"It's hard," he said of MDM. "But I knew that it was going to be that way."

Compared to his years at TWU, where most of his time was spent reading and writing for his assignments, the MDM program is much different.

"It is all project work," Jenkins said. "Everyone comes from such diverse background."

The degree, which is unique in Canada and one of a few offered in the world, is accredited by Vancouver's four major post secondary institutions: University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. These four partner institutions form the Great Northern Way Campus.

The scholarship was awarded based on academic achievements and work experience, as well as whether the candidates seemed likely to fit in and be a success at EA in the future - both during internships and after they finished the MDM program.

EA's support of the program is part of the company's global educational and talent development efforts, said Evaleen Jaager Roy, EA's vice president of global talent planning.

"Our goal is to help create an innovative educational environment that will lure talented people from across North America and around the world to the Great Northern Way Campus and establish British Columbia as a global leader in digital entertainment education," she said.

Jenkins is ecstatic for this opportunity and says he's always been tuned into technology because of its ability to bring people together.

"It connects people, you get to know them and it's a social thing," he said.

"We see this as an excellent investment in the future of digital entertainment and education," said Jaager Roy of Jenkins scholarship.

pbains@langleyadvance.com

© Langley Advance 2007