What’s Next For ETC’s Class of 2026
After graduating, Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center’s (ETC) Class of 2026 is stepping into their next chapter. We caught up with six graduating students to hear where they’re headed, what drives them, and how their time at the ETC has shaped their journey.
Malaya Heflin
What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?
I just moved to Los Angeles for my second internship with Disney. For the next six months, I will be a systems engineering intern supporting the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney Imagineering by working on computer simulations of new and current theme park rides. While I’m waiting for my internship to start in a couple of weeks, I’ve very much enjoyed spending my new free time with family and friends, playing video games, learning guitar, and working on craft projects!
What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?
I am most excited to start my internship and to get to contribute to something — Disneyland — that meant so much to me as a child growing up in southern California. Outside of work, I’m excited to explore more of my hobbies and to continue making cool things, including a potential project with my fellow recent ETC graduates!
How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?
The ETC has given me more confidence to pursue the projects and opportunities that I’m interested in. By having the freedom and resources to work on relevant, long-term projects, I feel more prepared to face similar challenges as I begin to enter the industry.
Tell us your favorite ETC memory!
My favorite ETC memory would have to be traveling to Florida with my teammates to install our project at Give Kids the World Village. It was great getting to learn by troubleshooting a real install, and so rewarding to see real families having fun and interacting with something that my teammates and I put so much effort into.
Describe your time at the ETC in one word.
Fulfilling!
Nellie Tonev
What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?
I’m going to work full-time at Snapchat as a software engineer!
What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?
I’m excited to meet my new team, and in a few months, I’ll be moving to Snap’s headquarters office in Santa Monica. I’m really looking forward to living in the LA area.
How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?
At the ETC, I gained a lot of experience working in interdisciplinary teams with many different people. I feel prepared to join any team and make meaningful contributions to whatever projects I will work on.
Tell us your favorite ETC memory!
Though this isn’t just one memory, my favorite thing to do at the ETC was karaoke with the big screen and mics in the RPIS [Randy Pausch Interdisciplinary Studio], especially to celebrate after a major deadline or milestone.
Describe your time at the ETC in one word.
Empowering.
Terri Lim
What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?
I’m currently working full time as a Game Programmer at Tuyoo Games, where I interned during my final semester’s co-op.
What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?
I’m excited about the fact that what I work on daily is played by millions of people, and every day is a new learning experience as I understand more about what goes into the games that we play. There’s much more to a game than just what we see on the screen. Behind the scenes, there are members from various disciplines that have to come together to make things work. Even on the engineering side, there’s still so much for me to learn, and many tools and platforms I’ve never even heard of till I started working here.
How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?
I think that one of the best things about the ETC is that it gives us the environment to be creative problem solvers. In life, there are always going to be obstacles and deadlines, and what’s important is that we have the right mindset to tackle what comes our way, and that’s one of the most valuable skillsets I believe we can have.
Tell us your favorite ETC memory!
The people. I’ve definitely worked on some really cool projects during my time at the ETC (Spelunx, EchoTrio, BVW worlds, etc.), but the best memories are made because of the amazing people we share them with.
From the projects themselves, to fun activities like karaoke, Halloween, celebrating after an exhausting (but fun) semester, spicy food challenge (the list goes on!), having the wonderful friends to do them with is what makes the ETC special. And not just the students, but the faculty and staff too! The ETC is a place where magic comes to life because of the people in it.
I would like to thank everyone, friends, peers, faculty, staff, (as well as many others working behind the scenes like the janitors and security guards) in the ETC for creating a truly enriching and vibrant environment.
Describe your time at the ETC in one word.
Catalyst. Graduation isn’t the end of our journey. The lessons we learn at the ETC are a catalyst for our careers and our future.
Lea Shi
What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?
I will work as a project manager at NetEase.
What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?
I’m thrilled to involve myself in real game production, learn industry knowledge and improve my capabilities.
How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?
Group projects at ETC taught me team collaboration — how to lead a team and be a reliable teammate.
Tell us your favorite ETC memory!
Working alongside my friends is my most precious memory at ETC. We worked hard and had so much fun together!
Describe your time at the ETC in one word.
Joyful.
Yingjie Wang
What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?
I will be working at DreamWorks Animation as a Technical Director! Technical directors, or TDs, are a bridge team between artists and engineers. As a TD, I’ll be building software tools for the 3D animation pipeline that resolve bottlenecks, automate tedious processes, and elevate artist workflows in close collaboration with artist teams like animation, layout, or lighting.
What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?
I’m super excited to be working on the front lines of animated filmmaking, learning not only about the technology but also the creative process and artistic craft of bringing incredible stories to life through 3D animation. I’m especially excited about my role since TD’s get to problem solve in different ways on a daily basis, and I’ll get to work with and learn from incredibly talented artists and engineers who have worked on films that I love.
How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?
At the ETC, we’re always trying to figure out how to work together to turn crazy ideas into tangible things. All the projects from BVW to the project semesters helped me hone my skills of figuring out the problem to solve, then how to take meaningful steps as a team to scope and build a solution, even when there’s no clear starting point. This is incredibly useful and applicable to a TD role since TD’s are constantly facing new challenges to solve as a film evolves,and collaboration across teams and disciplines is key to moving a production along.
The ETC also gave me the space and resources to explore areas I was curious about, from interesting technology I’ve never worked with before to roles ranging from programmer to producer to even being a TD through the co-op semester.
Tell us your favorite ETC memory!
I really loved bringing the CAVERN game jams from a crazy moonshot idea to an actualized community event. The CAVERN is a room-scale VR platform.
During my first project semester, my team Spelunx and I were building a developer toolkit for the CAVERN. Since our toolkit’s goal was to simplify and streamline the process to make projects for the platform, we needed a way to tangibly playtest it. Thus, the idea of running game jams were born. While hosting the jams, seeing people go from cautiously attempting a new platform to understanding how to use it to building out wildly creative ideas over the course of a couple days was incredibly rewarding. The excitement around the CAVERN grew and more people participated in our second game jam. We not only successfully validated how well the toolkit worked, but we also generated excitement around the platform and fostered a community space where people could explore and create.
I also loved playtesting in general at the ETC whether it was working with therapists and Parkinson’s patients with my team ReNUSHU, family and guests during Festival and Playtest day, or just on the day to day with fellow classmates and friends. It’s such a critical part to any project’s success and I always learned so much and had so much fun doing it.
Describe your time at the ETC in one word.
Invigorating.
Benjamin Walker
What are you doing next now that you’ve graduated?
This summer, I’m running a game makers camp for rising 6th graders with high school and college students acting as mentors. Long term, I’m continuing to work on establishing a foundation focused on building a Black and industry-marginalized game creator talent pool in Pittsburgh; I’m also iterating a few projects I started at the ETC and planning new game projects with my family of artists.
What’s the most exciting part of whatever you’re doing next – whether that’s a job, internship, or project you’re working on?
I’m excited to be working towards building a community of local Black makers and players. I anticipate working on projects steeped in Pittsburgh’s Black and diasporic culture, history, and art.
How do you think the ETC prepared you for what’s next?
It gave me confidence, project management skills, experience, and a valuable network.
Tell us your favorite ETC memory!
My favorite ETC memory was seeing how excited Fall Festival guests — including kids, parents, and ETC community members — got solving the case in the “Billy Jo Jive” experience I helped develop.
Describe your time at the ETC in one word.
Momentous.