From movies to video games, graphic novels to comic strips, senior Jordan Miller has always loved art and has known it was something he wanted to pursue. However, once Miller reached high school, that path was set in a new direction. Before deciding to learn about 3D design in high school, Miller was just looking through all the fine arts classes DGS has to offer with his dad.
“I’ve been into the fine arts department, and when I saw the 3D Design Animation class and all the stuff that they were doing I thought, hey, that looks pretty interesting,” Miller said.
Thinking back, Miller recalled with a smile and a laugh how from a young age, he’d shown interest in art in kid’s books and comics, finding inspiration from favorite illustrators.
“I started drawing for a lot of things, and going into high school I was looking at some of the classes there and knew I wanted something a bit artsy. Me and my dad were looking for classes that have art, and by chance I saw 3D Design Animation,” Miller said.
DGS offers several courses relating to art and computer science, encouraging students to find their specific interests. This is how it worked out for Miller, when he realized 3D design courses were what he wanted to be involved in. Miller found his interest while taking courses at DGS, as he’s taken several classes relating to his passions throughout his time in high school, but a few caught his attention more than others.
“Mainly 3D Design 1 and 2. I took one during my freshman year, and I took the second one last year, as a junior,” Miller said.
Internship Program Teacher and Coordinator and Career and Technical Education Teacher Ryan Altenburg taught Miller in 3D Design Animation 2 and 3D Design Studio. He smiled while talking about teaching Miller, and remembered with a laugh how Miller would take his projects to the next level.
“He had a lot of really cool, creative ideas, and he was really one to not just work on those ideas, but to always try and push it and take it a little bit of a step further. He’d get the minimum tasks done for the projects, and his feedback he’d be looking for from me was ‘What can I do to make this better?’…I think I gave him the tools to kind of figure out, here’s different places you can go to learn,” Altenburg said.
Deciding what path to take after graduation from high school can be difficult, and for some there’s uncertainty about where one’s life will take them. Miller, however, calmly explained his current plan for higher education.
“Two years at COD, and if I’m interested, four years at NIU, like an hour away. Kind of the simple thought process I went through,” Miller said.
High school is a time of looking into the future and deciding what to pursue in terms of a career. Miller sees himself pursuing this long-time interest of his.
“I’ve always been interested in video games, I’ve been playing since I was five, so hopefully I would be able to get a job at a game studio, either Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft,” Miller said.
Along with his wish to become an animator, Miller hopes to someday produce his own game. Using skills he learned throughout his time at DGS, he would work on everything from code to animation.
“On a side hustle, I’ve always kept the mind of wanting to make my own game somewhere down the line. That’s always been a back thought in there,” Miller said.
Early on in high school, Miller was able to connect with others who had similar interests, creating lasting friendships.
“I think it has because I love video games so much. During my freshman year, my dad got on my back to join a club, and by chance, I founded the Super Smash Bros Club, now called the ESports Club. I’ve been going there the whole three years, and we even got to state one time,” Miller said.
“Keep being interested in your hobbies. Hone and improve your skills, you know? If you’re really interested in something, you should try to improve in it,” Miller said.
