Meet the Apprentices

The Sumo Digital Academy is delighted to welcome its latest cohort of apprentices!

The team of 10 will work closely with departments and development teams across Sumo Digital studios to hone their craft, learn new skills, and discover more about the game development process as they kickstart their journey in the games industry. The Sumo Digital Academy apprentice programme is the first in the UK games industry to be recognised by the government and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

In addition, 2024 sees our first Tech Art cohort join the Sumo Digital Academy led by Dave Wilson, Academy Art Director.

Let’s meet the Class of 2024-25.

Oliver Smith – Programming Apprentice

Oliver comes from a Physics background and has just finished his PhD in Fusion plasma simulations. His hobbies include playing board games, TTRPGs, Ultimate Frisbee and riding a unicycle.

Oliver said: “I'm hoping to learn all the skills I need to make it in the industry. I have previous coding experience but not in C++ or in a game’s context, so I have a lot to learn!

“I'm also keen to build professional relationships with the other apprentices and staff.”

Carter Brooke – Programming Apprentice

Carter Previously worked in QA for both Rare and Rockstar before joining the Academy to pursue a career in programming. They enjoy playing games of all kinds, though mostly multiplayer games like MMOs and League of Legends, as well as football and weightlifting.

Carter said: “I am hoping to become a competent, trusted and valued member of the Sumo Programming team and help to produce some great games!”

Erwin Tang - Programming Apprentice

Erwin has a background in Mechanical Engineering and worked in product development prior to joining the Academy. His hobbies include badminton, turn-based games and tabletop, occasionally tinkering with his 3D printer.

Erwin said: “[I want to] Be competent as a programmer, build great relationships and ultimately release a game.”

Arune Janusauskaite - Programming Apprentice

Arune has a keen interest in human psychology and neuroscience. They don’t have any tech background and used to work in customer service before joining the Academy.

Arune said: “I hope to learn some cool things both from apprenticeship programme and other peers. I also hope to pass all tests and achieve the required standard to work in games industry.”

Reece Waite – Programming Apprentice

Reece arrived at the Academy from a Computer Science BSc. His favourite hobbies include gaming and climbing.

On what he hopes to achieve in his time with the Academy, Reece said “Team communication skills and explore which area of game development I might be interested in specialising”.

Ricky-Lee Carpenter – Programming Apprentice

Ricky-Lee love games and was an indie game developer for a long time before arriving at the Sumo Digital Academy.

On why he decided to join the apprenticeship programme, Ricky-Lee said: “I wanted to turn my hobby into a career.”

Tom Grant – Programming Apprentice

Tom was a QA Tester for four and a half years before joining the Academy. He’s interested in gaming, bouldering, programming, and ‘lucid dreaming’.

Tom said he hopes to gain a: “Strong understanding of programming in games, so I can continue to work in my favourite industry, with my favourite people.”

Isaac Carstensen – Programming Apprentice

Isaac studied an Undergraduate degree in Maths and Music and a Postgraduate degree in Music Performance. For the past two years he’s worked in admin at Leeds University – but he found that he could quickly automate a lot of day-to-day tasks, so despite not being hired as a programmer he got into the habit of writing code on a regular basis.

Isaac said: “I'm hoping to be able to get the skills to make some fantastic games and have the chance to make some fantastic games that I can be really proud of. I also want to meet some awesome friends that love games as much as I do!”

Adittya Pun – Programming Apprentice

After working in a laboratory role, Adittya was keen to be in an industry that has a progressive culture, is creative in nature and moves with the technology of its time. They took part in the Academy’s Diversity Internship Training Programme, which gives people from under-represented groups the opportunity to receive training and mentoring in game programming to see what it would be like as a career.

“Being a DITP intern, it provided a pathway for someone like me that didn't do a game programming course at university but was looking to pivot into games,” said Adittya, “Learning quite late on in my life that I have ADHD, the Academy provides a fantastic learning setup for me compared to my university experience, I get a lot of learning support and structure, but I also get a lot of freedom to take learning at my own pace… also I love video games.

“I'd love to learn to proficiently write friendly, industry standard code and programmes, and be able to apply this skillset to working on game projects with other programmers. I'd like to move on to working in multidisciplinary teams with tech and audio artists.”

Jack Howells – Programming Apprentice

Jack graduated from the University of Bath with a degree in Physics and worked for the NHS before joining the Academy. One of Jack’s friends is part of the 2023 cohort and had nothing but great things to say about the programme.

Jack said: “As someone with ADHD I really value an environment that is friendly and accessible to that type of thinking. Even during the interview process, Jacob and George were really inquisitive about how I approach learning and thinking about things, and I just thought this would be a comfortable environment to follow a passion that I’d always had.”

Hollie Walton – Technical Art Apprentice

Hollie has a background in computer science, digital media, art and product design, which fed into doing BA Game Art at De Montfort University. In their spare time, they enjoy playing D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palworld, modded Minecraft and Overwatch.

Hollie said: “I hope to make plenty of friends, and gain skills from being in an industry-style situation. I also really hope to be a part of a game release through the Academy.”

Mihai Dragan – Technical Art Apprentice

Mihai is a 3D Game Art graduate from Sheffield Hallam University where he won the Rebellion North Game Art & Animation Award for his final project. His hobbies are playing video games, as well as cooking and woodworking.

Mihai said: “I am hoping to learn new things, get the chance to work on shippable projects, network with people, and make new friends in this field, as well as hopefully secure a long-term job at Sumo Sheffield.

“I love Sumo's culture, and Sheffield is a city that I hold dearly in my heart.”

January James – Technical Art Apprentice

January joins the Academy after obtaining an MA in Game Art at Sheffield Hallam University. They like Pokémon, puzzle games and sketching/life drawing.

During their time with the Academy, January is looking forward to “Plenty of new experiences and learning opportunities. I'm never done improving and I believe I can get a lot out of my time here. Making friends with like-minded people is always a nice bonus too.”

Ellie Cairns – Technical Art Apprentice

Ellie studied Game Design at Hopwood Hall College and BA Game Art at Sheffield Hallam, graduating with first class honours in 2023. She has always had an interest in art which she picked up from her grandma who was an artist, and regularly draws and writes in her free time – she hopes to create a sci-fi comic for fun!

She also enjoys playing games like the Souls games, reading manga, and playing DnD with friends.

Ellie said: “I hope to keep building my knowledge and skills while meeting more people I have common interests with, building friendships and experiences that will shape me professionally and personally.”

Tashan Attawia – Technical Art Apprentice

Tashan recently graduated from Birmingham City University where they studied Video Game Digital Art as a BA and Feature Film Development as an MA. They enjoy playing FPS games like Halo and Rainbow Six Siege, as well as writing and producing songs.

Tashan said: “I am hoping to expand my skillset and work on exciting new projects.”

Holly Savin - Shadow Apprentice

Holly joins the Sumo Digital Academy as the first ever Shadow Apprentice. During her time with the Academy, she’ll be studying and engaging in the same projects as the current apprentices - documenting the entire process in video form to give an inside look into what it’s like to be an apprentice.

“It’s important for underrepresented groups to see people like themselves in industry roles, so that’s a key part of the Academy’s goal with this new role,” says Holly. “I’m honoured to be the face that will hopefully inspire future cohorts and underrepresented groups to apply to the apprenticeship in years to come.”

Meet our 2023-24 Sumo Digital Academy cohort!

Grace Johnson

Grace joins the Academy off the back of being a student in our Diversity Internship Training Programme. Whilst studying Physics with Astrophysics at university, Grace discovered her passion for gaming and programming, and is eager to join the games industry due to its creative flair.

She’s really looking forward to learning the ins and outs of all things gaming, discovering how things are made and subsequently putting her knowledge to use. In addition, she’s also looking forward to the social aspect of the apprenticeship and getting to know her peers.

Imisioluwa Olubummo

It was during his studies in Software Engineering that Imisioluwa discovered an interest in game development, which led to applying and – successfully – obtaining a place in the Sumo Digital Academy. He’s really looking forward to making games, and hopefully planning to release something themselves.

Aside from learning the ways of game development, Imisioluwa has interests in esports (generally FPSs and MOBAs), 3D art/modelling, and reading.

Duncan Gallagher

Having always loved playing games, Duncan took the opportunity during lockdown to start learning how to code. The Sumo Academy was the perfect opportunity to solidify their skills for something they love doing and hopefully turn it into a career.

Duncan is hoping to meet lots of lovely people and learn lots of exciting new things during their time in the academy. Aside from a passion for games, they also enjoy cycling and DJ-ing.

Haitao Lyu

A graduate student of digital media design, and part-time python tutor at Software Academy, Haitao saw the Sumo Digital Academy as an opportunity to work within a friendly environment with a group of talented industry professionals.

Through the knowledge and expertise of the apprenticeship, Haitao hopes to become a great game developer, with a vast knowledge across all relative aspects. Post-apprenticeship, he would like to become a Junior Developer here at Sumo.

Alice Moore

During her university studies, Alice created games on Unity to cope with the stress of the course – it was through this that she realised that she preferred game programming due to its logical problem-solving nature.

Alice hopes to one day become confident in game specific coding to secure a full-time game programming job and feels that the academy is the right environment to push her and see where her potential can lead to. More importantly, Alice hopes to gain lifelong friends from the apprenticeship who, hopefully, may be her colleagues in the future.

Abdullah Attique Ahmed

Having recently graduated with a BSc in Artificial Intelligence & Computer Science, Abdullah was keen to take his learnings and implement them in an opportunity like the apprenticeship.

Video games were the reason he got into computer science and technology, and the academy will allow him to bring these interests together in the best way possible. Abdullah is looking forward to working with a like-minded, yet diverse range of people.

Luke Craggs

Luke had always been trying to shift his skills towards game development, and when he saw what the academy offered, it was a no-brainer. He’s looking forward to one day becoming a component developer with enough skills and knowledge to be able to work on large games and exploring different paths available in the industry through the academy.

Luke previously spent a few years designing and building an escape room in South Yorkshire, as well as working in industrial automation following his degree in Aerospace Engineering.

Matt Bates

Though Matt’s main university studies revolved around Physics, it was the small programming projects that he enjoyed due to the problem-solving aspect. This, combined with his love of playing games, is what first inspired him to try out game programming.

By the time he finishes his apprenticeship, Matt’s goal is to have the knowledge and skills to be able to get a job working in a professional game studio, helping to make some amazing games.

Away from the programming side of life, he enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, with an enthralling adventure currently underway with friends and family.

Simran Chopra

Mathematics graduate Simran has always had a passion for playing games.

She considered game programming to be her dream career but didn't think it was achievable to switch careers after finishing her degree. Thankfully, Simran found out about the academy and was successfully chosen as one of the latest cohorts.

From being a complete beginner to C++ last year, Simran is looking forward to seeing the whole process of making a game first-hand. Her goal is to reach a point where she is confident enough to write code in order to contribute to a project during her time in the academy.

Fagin Hales

Having a PhD in Quantum Physics is a fantastic achievement, but Fagin is hoping to progress further by using his experience in math and physics to program games.

He’s looking forward to gaining knowledge with the academy’s guidance to go onto have a successful career in the games industry. When he’s not putting his math and physics skills to the test, Fagin enjoys hobbies such as D&D, photography, hiking, and gaming.

Meet our 2022-23 Sumo Digital Academy cohort!

Bradley Tully

Bradley has studied under the Nextgen gaming course for the last couple of years and has had the opportunity to learn about game creation as a whole, with perspectives from multiple disciplines rather than just a programmer.

Following his time in the Sumo Digital Diversity Internship Trainee Programme, Bradley hopes to further his skills as part of Sumo Academy and go on to a role in programming.

Eva Kioseoglou

Following her MSc in Particle Physics – which involved a fair amount of Python and machine learning – Eva found herself drawn to software development.

At first, she thought she was content working as a developer for a global investment bank, but a few game jams later, she has decided to pursue programming in a more creative environment and looks forward to the journey with Sumo Academy. 

Fenner Richmond

Coming from a Mathematics background, Fenner has a passion for problem-solving and analytic thinking. This, coupled with a love for technology and video games, led him to study a Computer Science MSC before joining Sumo Academy.

He’s looking forward to kickstarting his games industry career. 

Harry Ogden

A graduate of Electronic Engineering with Music Technology Systems from the University of York, Harry undertook study in audio analysis, recording techniques and sound design as part of his course, as well as an introduction of the basics of software development – which is where he found his love for programming.

Games have been a huge part of his life and he’s looking forward to learning more about the development process and tuning his engineering skills to the games industry. 

Jessica Marshall-Newson

With a degree in Marine Biology from Plymouth University, Jessica has worked in a few technical support roles but always dreamt of a career in the games industry.

During 2020, she took the opportunity to get involved in some online programming courses, and soaked up as much learning as anyone would offer – including the Sumo Digital SWiCS workshops and the Diversity Internship Programme. 

Karl Swales

Former CNC Machine Programmer, Karl has dreamt of shaping stories rather than steel.

Through Sumo Academy, he hopes to take his programming to the next level by learning the skills required to deliver new stories and experiences, worlds to explore and challenges to overcome. 

Laura Clarke

Laura studied Physics at the University of Manchester but when the pandemic hit, she realised Physics wasn’t for her long term and decided to pursue her dream of becoming a game developer.

After taking part in the SWiCS workshop and the Sumo Digital Diversity Internship Trainee Programme over the past year, she’s now joined Sumo Academy to focus her learning and to enable her to follow her love of programming. 

Ntokozo Tshuma

Ntokozo graduated in September 2021 with a Design, Innovation and Creative Engineering degree and learned skills in Web Design and Arduino.

He has joined Sumo Academy, following his time as part of the Diversity Internship Trainee Programme with Sumo Digital, for an opportunity to pursue programming and discover more about the discipline as a whole. 

Ruth Dickens

Ruth started out in sciences and studied Biology at Uni coupled with a year in industry with Natural England on the Norfolk Broads. From there, they made the switch to the games industry and did a two-year Level 3 course in Games Technology.

They’re excited to take their next step with Sumo following their time as part of the Diversity Internship Trainee Programme and be part of Sumo Academy to continue their learning. 

Toby Spiers

A TV Production Graduate, Toby spent his degree focussing on a combination of creative, technical and collaborative skills but found himself naturally learning towards VFX and Maya.

He’s particularly interested in combining creativity with technical knowledge and has a long history of programming in his spare time. He’s thrilled to be joining Sumo Academy and can’t wait to start this new adventure.