About Me
Hi! My name is Meghan Patnode, and I'm currently on my final year as a Game Design student studying at Columbia College Chicago. Transferring from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago my Sophomore year, where I studied as an Art and Technology Major, I've got a diverse background that allows me to approach programming problems with an additional design perspective, and vice versa.
I’m an adaptable student with knowledge of project management, programming, and game design. I’ve worked on projects ranging
from solo development to 100-person Steam releases. Thus, with 8 years of digital media experience, I'm the perfect pick for the spot on your team.
Programming Languages: C#, HTML, CSS, P5.js
Software: Unity, Unreal Engine 5, Adobe Suite (Adobe Certified Associate), Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Autodesk, Github and UVCS, Excel, Machinations.io, Figma,
Professional: Project Workflow Management, Creative Writing, Scrum and Agile Workflows, Quality Assurance, Creative Problem Solving,
What I've Been Up To
College Career
When I went to college, I originally started out studying Art and Tech at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I knew how important my education would be to my career path thus, making the big change to move from my hometown of Phoenix, AZ to Chicago, IL. In my short time there, I had my digital media work displayed at over 10 galleries.
Up to the present day, I'm currently studying at Columbia College Chicago, graduating May 2025. Recently winning the Scholars Project Mentorship Award and receiving Columbia's Dean's List, I haven't slowed down.
I've been working with the EGD Collective as a Transitional Member of their Game Studio Program. The program simulates a AAA studio. Here, I've been working on Project Dreamscape as the UI/UX team lead, which is set for a Steam release in April 2025.
Additionally, I've been working as a Gameplay Programmer Intern with TwinRayj Studios based in Chicago, IL. After being promoted from their QA Internship in January 2025, I've been working on designing and programming all of the code for an unreleased game project, utilizing Unity and C#.
I've also been working on-campus for my school as a Production Team Member. This title involves responding to IT and AV issues for faculty, running sound equipment for events, and most importantly practicing effective communication (especially in team settings).
High School Career
I began my professional work off with a running start. In high school, I was Vice President of my FBLA chapter, Treasurer of my National Honors Society chapter, and Tech Chairman of my International Thespian Society chapter. During my time in Future Business Leader's of America (FBLA) I regularly competed. The awards my work won are as follows:
April 2021 - First Place at State Level in Publication Design
April 2020 - First Place at Regional and State Level in Website Design
April 2019 - First Place at Regional and State Level in Public Service Announcement
This experience was invaluable, as from an early age I seized opportunities to practice both public speaking and creating professional quality work on a scheduled timeline with the goal of formally presenting for critique. At just 16, I was presenting my own websites and animations to the FBLA national conference.
I have loved video games since I was a little girl. I'm passionate about every single piece of the pie: coding, design, and, ultimately, the finished product.