By Mary-Ellis Ryan

If you’d ask me about my interests, developing games definitely wouldn’t have been one of them. I’d usually lean towards art, music or fashion but I found myself landing a gaming internship with the New York Videogame Critics Circle. It offers practical experience and skill development in a real-world setting. Additionally, it aids in career development and provides a chance to build professional connections. And I’m really getting into the idea of reviewing games.

How did this start? Let’s go back to the beginning.

“Do you like Minecraft?” My friend asked me.

“Yeah!”

“There’s a Minecraft Club that I joined. Do you want to join with me?”

“Sure, how do I sign up?”

“Google form sent through Gmail.”

And that’s where it all started, the Baruch college campus high school Hack League Club.

“Your first task: Come up with a draft for the above writing challenge”

• Two characters representative of your school community
• A social justice-themed plot
• A description of how your game would be played.

May 3rd, 4 pm

I read through the instructions: something in particular sticks out.

I remember reading, “Winners 300 dollars.” “Opportunity for a paid internship.”

The thought of winning such a prize, gaining experience as a writer and getting free games to review was both thrilling and motivating. It was clear this wasn’t just any contest—it was a real opportunity to make a difference and learn about a potential future career.

I knew the stakes were high and I had to get to work eventually.

I’ll start tomorrow.

But yet a day passed, then another, and another. Each day, I found myself delaying the start of the writing process as I was caught up in other tasks and distractions.

It was a week before the due date.

May 25, 7:20 pm

Time is ticking away. The deadline is getting near. At last, I took my seat at the desk, facing the bright screen of my computer and got to work.

I opened two empty documents: one for drafting and the other for the final version.

7:35 pm

Both documents remain empty, not a single idea. 

7:50 pm

Empty.

I’ll start fresh tomorrow.

I decided to pass the time by playing my favorite game, Roblox. A platform known for its variety and creativity, Roblox offers a huge selection of user-made games letting you explore different genres and even create your own game.

The clock hits midnight; the next day has arrived. My day goes as normal, and time passes just as it always does.

May 26, 6:40 pm

I find myself once again facing the bright screen of my computer. I pull up the two documents.

Empty.

‘How can someone use their resources and abilities to spread awareness about a social issue?’ I ask myself.

Finally, an idea struck.

Pollution and art.

Pollution is a significant issue that deeply affects the world today. It impacts air, water and soil quality and poses serious threats to all living things.

Art of all kinds is crucial to the world today, perhaps more than ever. Its ability to engage emotions and provoke thought can draw attention to important topics and get important messages across.

I get to work writing a narrative story called Code Green.

Code Green is a Minecraft server of a world scarred by industrial pollution, where the sky remains overcast, rivers run black, and mutated creatures roam the desolate landscape. Players start in a central hub, a marketplace fueled by a network of outdated and polluting technologies.

At last, my document is no longer empty.

A few days pass by.

It is now a day before the deadline. The Hack League Club was called into the cafeteria by our teacher to review and submit our final essays.

The clock ticked.

I logged into my school laptop, pulled up my final draft and frantically made last-minute adjustments, before handing it over for my teacher to review.

It was quiet as she read through my document.

Finally, she spoke.

“Wow, this looks great! Good job!”

She made a few adjustments and explained the process for turning in the document.

At last, all student essays were submitted.

Time to wait.

Monday, June 3rd, All Day

I don’t remember all the exact dates of my diary. But I remember this one. It was the day of the test.

The math regents.

It was a day filled with anticipation and relief.

After a long, stressful two hours of testing, I was finally out of school and walked towards the bus. As I approached the stop, my phone buzzed with a notification. I checked it, wondering what it was about, and saw a message from the Hack League group chat.

“Mary-Ellis, you won!!!! Congratulations!”

I felt a surge of excitement and couldn’t contain my happiness. I quickly shared the news with my friends. Their replies were full of excitement and more congratulations. Eager to share the good news with my parents, I told them as soon as I got home. Hearing their thrilled reactions made the moment even more special.

Saturday, June 8, 12:30 pm

Today was an exciting day. It was the day I collected my rewards at the Minecraft Battle of the Boroughs for the Circle’s Minecraft Writing Challenge. I felt a rush of excitement as I arrived at the place. The mini ceremony was well-organized, and as I approached the table to receive my prize, a sense of accomplishment washed over me. The thrill of seeing my name on the certificate and the recognition for my work made the entire experience unforgettable.

Eventually after celebrating with my parents and looking around, my mom got details about the internship and we were given a paper with all the relevant information. 

Once I was home, I examined the paper detailing the internship information that my mom had received. The idea of stepping into a new field was both exciting and daunting. My initial uncertainty about the internship lingered, but my mom eventually convinced me to do it. I looked at the paper given and sent an email regarding the internship.

Soon, I spoke with Harold and Ryan about my duties.

And here I am today, writing this essay. 

Just like that, a simple interest in a game became the gateway to a whole new world of possibilities—one where I could blend my passion for creativity with a newfound enthusiasm for game development.

Mary-Ellis Ryan attends Baruch High School. She is the newest intern at the New York Videogame Critics Circle, and we look forward to publishing more of her work.

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