Taylor Stolworthy

BFA in New Media, Junior

Current Semester: FA 21, Graduating Semester: SP 22

At the University of Tampa, I’ve gained experience and have gained great knowledge in the realms of graphic design and creative coding. My start on these topics, however, came in high school at Avon Old Farms. I learned JavaScript, HTML, Python, Java and participated in two of Lockheed Martin’s CodeQuest events. This background helped me as that knowledge was put to the test and expanded upon in FMX 310 and 311. Santiago’s classes, in a word, are tough. Every single assignment presented new challenges, but every time I was able to persevere past these challenges, I could tell that I was improving. From my fun soccer game that was my final project in 310, to the interactive pages I’ve worked on in 311, I could see just how far I’ve grown. It also hasn’t just been in coding. Thanks to film and animation classes, notably FMX 322 Visual Effects, I’ve progressed from being a novice in film editing to having some experience in an area of study where I’ve found a lot of enjoyment. 

My greatest strength was and still has been programming. It was my passion when I entered UT, and even though my passion has changed since, programming is still my greatest asset. My knowledge of multiple languages, including the always important Java and Python, is extremely valuable in many aspects of life, and for many places, I could see potential careers going. I may not be skilled enough to make a massive project or application on my own, but my knowledge easily allows me to be a viable asset for coding teams or for working on certain sections of projects. I’ve had experience being able to be a valuable asset alongside a co-programmer during the 2019 Code Quest event held by Lockheed Martin. A classmate and I worked together using python to solve multiple problems in the Code Quest challenge booklet. We both were able to assist each other and achieve a great result, even if we missed out on a top-three finish thanks to missing one line of code. My knowledge of coding is like the knowledge of riding a bike, I might be rusty getting back to using a language I hadn’t used in a while, for example, Javascript, but once I get moving and settled, it’s like I never left.

Everyone has weaknesses, and I wish I could be the exception, but I’m not. There are plenty of things I lack knowledge and or experience with. One such place I’ve lacked strength in was drawing while having my FMX 210 class on 2D animation. I’ve enjoyed working with 2D animation and being able to create my own animated shorts, but not being a very skilled artist with a pen, I had struggles. One of the key struggles, as Dana had noticed, was my volume control. However, as I gained experience throughout the semester, I’ve been able to help improve that weakness, and I’ve been able to tackle projects in ways where my weakness doesn’t hamper me as much. Another weakness would simply be a lack of experience in other forms of media and programs, and the way to get better is simply by experience and hard work. For instance, working with 3D animation and modeling, where I’ve simply needed to grind with an optimistic mindset to be successful in a field I had zero experience in. Finally, one weakness that has been larger was simply that I feel I wasn’t able to grow in the ways I wanted to as a programmer. Before, one of my ideas of a job I’d like to pursue after college would’ve been game design, but my key weakness in that category would be the lack of experience in making games! Even though I’ve had experience in languages, I don’t have a lot of work to show for it. To combat this weakness, I’d look outside of UT, find game development looking for interns or people to help on projects, or even practice making games and programs on my own. 

I’ve never been great at predicting the future, there’s a reason my march madness brackets always collapse! Even if I decide to dive into broadcasting and commentary in sports more than graphic design and creative coding, the knowledge I’ve gained from having a New Media major is still going to be used. For instance, my strengths in HTML would allow me to develop my very own website that I could put my commentary reels on, as well as a simple hub to give to teams and broadcasting groups. My editing skills from visual effects could allow me to run my own streams or handle broadcasting production for events on my own, such as live streaming and doing commentary over an eSport event. At first glance, having experience in New Media doesn’t make a lot of sense for someone whose true passion lies in sports and commentary, but that background and experience help me in so many ways. It gives me extra tools that can enhance my talent in the broadcasting field but also gives me a backup plan. If a freak accident permanently damaged my vocal cords, what would I do then? I’d grab my MacBook and get back to working on coding, digital art, and every other facet I’ve learned from New Media. As time passes, things change, and I can never tell where my career will go, so having a solid background with tools that can help me in a variety of situations for a variety of companies, is worth its weight in gold, or with blockchains helping build the crypto-currencies of the future, dare I say Etherium?