A rising senior in the Media Arts and Science (MAS) program at the Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering in Indianapolis, Jena Szalai is a lifelong fan of animation, focusing her studies at IU Indianapolis on digital storytelling, video, 3D modeling, and design. The opportunity to contribute to a company that played an important role in her childhood is a dream come true, she said.
“This past year for me has really been about stepping out of my comfort zone; it’s been scary but also exciting. It was an opportunity that I knew I couldn’t pass up,” Szalai said.
Mathew Powers, one of Szalai’s course instructors in the Human-Centered Computing Department at Luddy Indianapolis, said, “Jena has an energetic flare for creative stories and has been a determined force of good in all of my classes. She is truly dedicated to traditional and experimental storytelling and connecting her characters to the audience. Jena has a great ability to see a story immediately in front of her and at the same time, gauge how it will expand and flow out words to future audiences.”