UMD’s Collegiate Esports Conference Champions shared their personal experiences with gaming, hurdles and triumphs of the field, and advice on approaching gaming on the collegiate level
University of Maryland College of Information Studies (INFO) hosted a student panel over Zoom on April 15, 2024 with four of UMD’s National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Champions: Saima Ahmad, Corey Bast, Soomin Kim, and Justin Yoo.
The champions shared their personal experiences with gaming, hurdles and triumphs of the field, and advice on approaching gaming on the collegiate level. While their introductions to esports varied from high school hobbies to bonding with family and friends, the common thread between the players was the sense of community the esports sphere creates.
Saima Ahmad expressed her joy of being on a women-only team and how “it was awesome being together…winning together.” She is a founding member of Terps Valorant Lilac, which is a part of the Game Changers community where women and non-binary people pave the path to entering the gaming industry.
Personal accountability and personal development are key goals for the panelists. Corey Bast, a Terps Valorant Premier champion, revealed how he often struggles with maintaining motivation and that “knowing when you should take a break is a good solution to keeping that motivation.” The panelists discussed how they stay organized and manage their course expectations while juggling gaming with student life.
Incoming and current UMD students are encouraged to get involved with Esports. Director of Esports, Sergio Brack, shared that the best way for students to connect with the program is through the Discord server invite link as well as their social media @TerpsEsports on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Tryouts are offered for teams in July and August as well as student employment opportunities.
Terps Esports is continuously evolving. Vania McBean, the founder of Terps Esports, announced developments on an esports center on or around the College Park campus, designating it as a “nice place where the community can come together, socialize, as well as participate in competitive esports.”
Watch the full video here.
View the UMD Esports website here.