Hello! My name is Alex Vega, a 19-year-old Christian who dreams of using my creativity and skills to build immersive experiences to share with the world. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, in a humble and hardworking family that dreams of a better future. Supported by my friends and family, I seek to accomplish my goals and dreams despite the obstacles and trials I face on my journey.

Growing up, I learned to appreciate the little things in life. Whether it was food, limited money, family, friends, and much more. My family taught me the importance of humility, hard work, resourcefulness, and faith. And not only have they told me these core values, but they’ve shown it by example in their everyday lives. They’ve shown it through their desire to keep going despite their long, tiring days of work. Because of this, I’ve been inspired to have that same determination and desire to make progress on my daily tasks and projects as I make my professional journey in my life.

Other than my family, there are also one person in my life who have supported and demonstrated genuine companionship and loyalty: my elementary best friend. My best friend has always supported me ever since we met in 5th grade. He has always been there to help me throughout my life, especially during difficult times. And thanks to his support, I feel more confident than ever in my own skills and abilities. I’m truly grateful to have every single person in my life who’s shown me never-ending support and love.

And because of all of this, I plan on setting a living example of how hard work, creativity, faith, hope, and determination are the key values you need to fulfill your dreams. I come from a low-income Hispanic family, and as a first-generation college student, I want to show others that it’s always possible to fulfill your dreams, no matter what your background looks like.

After graduating from high school, I decided to continue my education at George Fox University, a private Christian University. I decided to major in Computer Science and minor in Theology with a concentration in Christian Ministries. The main reason why I chose to study Computer Science is that I enjoyed the idea of channeling my creativity into the digital world, where everyone can experience it through websites, video games, programs, or even applications. I also wanted to incorporate my faith into the workplace, which is why I’m also minoring in Theology.

Since my childhood, I have always had a passion for video games. I enjoyed playing a variety of games, which helped develop my creativity and problem-solving skills. And a core memory I have in my childhood was during my 5th-grade year. My best friend and I both share our love for video games, and we want to be video game developers in the future. And I remember making paper computers in class where we pretended to play a video game we designed and programmed. This was the moment when my technical curiosity and creativity started to spark.

In the spring semester of my sophomore year of college, I took a Game Development course, where I was exposed to the world of Unity, a game creation platform and engine. I also learned C#, a programming language used to create scripts that gave life to the game. I partnered with two other classmates, and together we designed a 2D rogue-like game called “Bluecloak”. This opportunity allowed me to take all of my creativity and programming skills to create an interactive experience for users to enjoy. This whole experience opened my eyes to what I can be: a storytelling video game developer.

And so, I strive to make immersive experiences where users can learn more about themselves based on their values and characteristics, and how they affect the digital world they “live in”. Because in the end, the decisions we make in life will always be important to both our present and future lives, no matter how big or small they are.

My spiritual journey hasn’t always been easy. I became part of a Pentecostal church around the age of ten, where I first experienced the presence of God. Since then, my desire to know more about Christ grew more and more as I kept going to church, reading the Bible, and praying to God. Then, when I felt ready, I accepted God into my heart. And after taking a class within the church, I got baptized and had my first “Lord’s Supper” with the congregation, and started my journey as a follower of Christ.

Since I accepted God into my life, it’s as if I have a guardian with me at all times. Watching me, counseling me, protecting me, and guiding me throughout different parts of my life. And during many difficult times where I had to make critical decisions, I felt God pointing towards the right direction. But there were times when I felt alone, whether it was me pushing God away in shame, or just caught up with so many things in my life. But I realized that these moments are trials designed to push me and help me grow both spiritually and personally. Even during the times I failed, I feel that God brings me back up and guides me.

At my church, I had mentors who taught me more about the Bible, spiritual practices, and the gifts God gave to each and every one of us to use in order to help others. There are a variety of gifts: prayer, teaching, preaching, healing, speaking in tongues, casting out demons, and more! And my mentors see the gifts I have and truly believe that God has great plans for me. My mentors weren’t the only ones who reassured me about my purpose; it was also the rest of the church, my friends and family. Whenever I felt like giving up because I felt like I’m not good enough, they reassured me that I am, and that God is always here for us, no matter what.

As I continued my education with my minor in Theology, I learned more about the culture and practices of other denominations and Biblical groups. Each and every spiritual group has its own take on the Bible, and from there, they preach and practice based on their beliefs. And between each group, there are a variety of conflicting ideas and differences that may separate them from each other. But they also have many things in common that bring them closer than ever. And a few of the main things are these: Believing in the word of God, the salvation brought by Jesus’ sacrifice, the importance of baptism and preaching the gospel, and the power in both faith and prayer.

And because of this, I believe that God loves all of us equally, no matter who we are. We are all children of God; no one is greater than the other. And just like it’s written in the book of Genesis, we are all created in the image of God. So, no matter what denomination or spiritual group we belong to, we are all connected by the Holy Spirit and the eternal blood of Christ.