About Me.

My name is Cyrilla Walters. I am trans woman from Connecticut. I specialize in Game Tools and Systems Programming.

I am currently a Game Design and Interactive Media Student at University Of California Irvine. With a Minor in Ancient Greek. I am also The Director of the Programming Department at UCI's Video Game Development Club.

I have 5 years of welding experience, as well as 10 years of drumming.

Early Life

When I was in 3rd Grade, I was diagnosed with Dyslexia. At first everything was the same. However, when 4th grade started I really began to struggle. I was practically forced to change school to one which specializes in learning disabilities.

That school helped me an immense amount with my reading and writing abilities. It turned me into a hard-working student. However, it only further made me dislike English. Spending three hours a day for four years doing something you despise (find frustrating) does not help liking it. Near the end of my time there, I started drumming.

After what felt like 4 excruciating years, I left my middle school to go to highschool. However, since I was going to a school that did not focus on learning disabilities, I had to repeat 8th grade. It was during this year that I took my first programming class. Another important event that happened during my second 8th grade year was when I took my first welding class.

While in highschool, I had some incredible and unique experiences that really shaped who I am. I went on a trip to Greece; learned Nuclear Chemistry; read some things I actually enjoyed (Dracula by Bram Stoker, Frankenstien by Mary Shelley, and Ozymandias by Percy Shelly); won a hockey championship; Completed two science fair projects; took an app development class; took a (poorly taught) class on data structures; created a game without any prior Unity Experience.

Even Though highschool was rough for me personally, I somehow managed to keep great grades.

My struggling through high school paid off in the end. I got into UCI for GDIM (Game Design and Interactive Media), which was my top choice. I later learned that the GDIM major for the 2022 year had about a 6% acceptance rate.

Here at UCI I have learned so much about programming games, not only from classes I have taken, but also experience. I had moments of doubt early on in my time here, but as it has gone on, I know I have made the right choice.

My work ethic I developed in middle and high school came in useful and has led me to create some amazing systems for games. This led me to getting the opportunity to work on a capstone project as a second year student. As well as becoming one of the programming officers of the VGDC.

College

Programming

Someone once told me that I am the most passionate programmer they had ever met. (I have been told that I am the most passionate programmer that person has ever met.) You may be wondering how that happened. Oh, you are not?... well, too bad.

During my second 8th grade year, I took my first ever programming class. A friend and I both asked the school if we could take a highschool programming class instead of the middle school one. We were allowed to, and that's when I learned I love to code.

My Dyslexic brain is wired in such a way that it just understands coding. For the first time ever, I had found a thing I was good at in school.

Programming is just problem solving. There is nothing more satisfying than solving a problem that has stumped you.

I have experience in many different languages:

C#
C++
Java
Swift
Python
Java Script

Contact

Itch