Duncan McDonald

Game Design, Minor in Programming '23

“Columbia opened my eyes to the incredible world of programming, something I probably never would have found alone,” says recent graduate in Game Design who also has a minor in Programming.

What would you say has been the most surprising thing you learned at Columbia? 

At Columbia, I learned that programming is fun! I had never touched code before coming here, but I am so glad I did.

What individuals or programs at Columbia were helpful to you in reaching your goal of graduating?

I can’t thank the Programming program enough for teaching me so much about programming and technology. I definitely need to give special thanks to Janell Baxter for showing me that programming is fun and to all the Programming faculty for allowing me to absorb their knowledge. I’d also like to give special thanks to Bill Guschwan for always pushing me to be better in all aspects of my career.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I plan to begin work as a .NET or Unity Software Engineer and am currently in the process of finding the right role. Much later down the line, I hope to help others learn programming as a teacher or professor.

If you were going to sum up your experience at Columbia in one sentence, what would you say?

Columbia opened my eyes to the incredible world of programming, something I probably never would have found alone.