How Programming Changed Ani's Life
2015-01-26
News
One of Tumo's most dynamic students, Ani Hovhannisyan, is currently the only girl in the advanced game development workshop and she has no issues with that.
Since 2011, Ani has participated in all the possible workshops and projects connected with game development and programming. "When I had just come to Tumo, I chose filmmaking and animation as my main focus areas. I had no idea what programming was. After trying out animation, I decided to give the first Hack the Tumo Fountain workshop a try and fell in love with programming." says Ani. The next step was predictable: a headlong dive into programming and game development workshops.
Ani complemented that standard track with a number of special activities like an Arduino Robotics workshop and Coding Music with the Harvard Boys. And now she finds herself helping other students develop their interest and knowledge in programming and game development. "When I heard about the possibility of becoming a volunteer coach, I thought, I am spending a lot of time at Tumo anyway. And I have gained a lot of knowledge here. So why not help out other students and the staff?"
Although she spends a substantial part of her week at Tumo, Ani's main focus is her schoolwork. "This year," she says, "I'm applying to the American University of Armenia to continue my studies in computer programming." Yet she also somehow finds time for a much less nerdy activity: artistic gymnastics. She has been a sportsperson for 12 years and is currently in the National Gymnastics team. "I know the sports thing sounds quite strange, but I like gymnastics. There, my whole group consists of girls, but I'm more comfortable being friends with boys, they're more into video games, like me." says Ani.
Ani's most important aspiration is to become a professional game developer. "First of all, I want to get a good education. There are great universities in places like Russia and Japan that I'd eventually like to study at. Game development is a developing industry in Armenia and someday I want to be a major player in it".