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What happens when college gives you the chance to rewrite the story you thought had already been written for you?
When Luis Martinez finished high school, he felt defeated and unsure whether higher education was even in his future. Los Angeles City College gave him a place to start again. What began with a visit to an enrollment fair led Luis to discover LACC’s Game Art and Design program, mentors who believed in him, and a creative community that helped him recognize his own potential.
In this episode of International Student Stories, host Soleil Perrin talks with Luis about game design, digital storytelling, world-building and the power of diverse voices in gaming. Luis shares how he turns personal experiences and culture into interactive art, from a playful cactus sheriff fighting pollution to a horror game inspired by La Llorona that explores mental health, folklore and identity.
He also reflects on transferring from LACC to UCLA, the difficult personal period that accompanied that transition, and the professors, friends and counselors who continued supporting him even after he left LACC. Today, as he prepares to graduate from UCLA in Design Media Arts, Luis is thinking about what comes next, including the possibility of someday becoming an educator himself.
His advice to students still figuring out their own path is wonderfully simple: explore, make connections, find what you're passionate about, and don't put so much pressure on yourself.
