On a recent trip back to the UK to visit his family, Neeley Corcoran, Class of ‘17, was welcomed back to the College to speak with Higher and Advanced Higher Computing Science pupils. Neeley, who now lives in Amsterdam, is a Softwear Engineer at VanMoof, an electronic bike Manufacturing company which is known for rapid innovations and unconventional solutions.

Mark Hay, Head of Computing said: “It was great to hear a former pupil talking about his real life experience as a Software Developer. He managed to get across to the pupils how the skills they are learning now in N5m Higher and Advanced Higher are useful in his professional life.”

Kimberly S (S5) comments: “Neeley’s talk was very interesting. Hearing about his experiences as a software engineer put into perspective how the information and skills we learn at school can be applied in the workplace. As well as learning about the applicable skills from the higher and advanced higher computing science courses, we were also made aware of some of the other systems and platforms commonly used in the tech industry. We learnt about ways to use these systems in order to build up experience and evidence of our work. This gave us useful insight into how to enter the world of software engineering.”

James S (S5) added: “I found it very interesting to listen to Neeley's presentation. Since I am currently unsure about what I want to do after I leave school. The way Neeley reassured us and made it clear to us that university wasn't the sole option and that you don't have to figure your life out at that exact moment. It was also interesting to hear about his role in the company and how Computing at RGC has helped him. Overall the very relaxed and calm attitude may influence my decision in what I decide to do after I leave.”

We were also delighted to welcome back Anthony Scott, Class of ‘02, COO/CFO of Unbroken Studios based in Los Angeles, California USA. Anthony delivered an exciting presentation to Senior 4 - Senior 6 pupils about ‘How to Make Video Games for a Living!’ He shared stories of working on the Arkham games and his current title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. He outlined the different fields involved in the video games industry ranging from art, programming, writing, finance, marketing, audio design, and project management. Anthony also shared career lessons he has learned and tips for pupils to figure out what to do in their careers.

Mark Hay, Head of Computing, shared: “It was great to hear from a former pupil who was able to describe a very varied career. Anthony also discussed the different opportunities and advice on how to go further in the Games industry other than just through coding. This hopefully allows those who have an interest in the field to pursue their interests in such a lucrative industry.”

Aidan O (S5) commented: “I found it really interesting to see how it not only takes a group of programmers to build a video game but several other people for all sorts of occupations to build a game that is as immersive as possible. Another part of the talk that was quite fascinating to hear was how important it is to gain as much experience as possible to get into jobs such as game development, but not limited to just that.”

We send our thanks to Neeley and Anthony for making the time to come back to Schoolhill to share their post RGC journeys with our pupils