“I couldn’t believe it,” Mota said of the award from Facebook, granted through its FbStart program that provides winners with mentorship and access to technical resources.
“People from all over the world compete. I never thought I had a chance. In fact, I had totally forgotten about it when I got the email,” he added.
Mota is a senior in FTC’s Information Technology Networking, Web Design and Programming bachelor’s degree program. His latest game, HeroHopp, is available for free on iTunes and Google Play for Apple and Android devices. In it, players have 80 characters to choose from, each with different skills and personality traits. The objective is to make one’s way through the game, hopping from one elevated area to another to pursue the game’s prize: the granting of a wish.
It follows the path of Box King, Mota’s first game about a whimsical king wearing an oversized crown whose gold fortune is stolen. He sets out to recover his wealth, but in the process, he must dodge dozens of falling boxes to stay alive. HeroHopp improves on Box King by making the game more “one-touch” and enabling the player to play faster.
Mota began designing games in the third grade when his dad gave him his first computer, but that wouldn’t have been enough to create these successful apps. He credits the education he’s received at FTC as key to his success.
“They have taught me a lot of different languages that I didn’t know when I came to the school,” he said. “Right now we’re learning a lot of C++, which is a language that lots of online games use. You can do an infinite amount of things with a language. It’s up to you and your imagination.”
FTC Information Technology programs also teach HTML, CSS3, Java, Visual Basic, and Python, among other programming languages. The Information Technology Networking, Web Design, and Programming bachelor’s program includes courses in all three of the subject disciplines. Students acquire specific skills in Networking, Web Design, and Programming, all of which are necessary for supervisory or managerial roles within the IT industry. The programs are designed to give students practical industry expertise to complement theoretical knowledge while making graduates highly competitive in today’s labor market.
“This is a great program, and the learning is intense,” said Rigoberto Maximo, an instructor. “You’re looking at something similar to a computer science program.”
Many employers are impressed with the level of experience and hands-on practical training that students get at FTC. Maximo said many of his students have gotten jobs in hospitals, theme parks, and Internet security.
“It is a rigorous program and the school makes sure that graduates are capable of getting a job in a very competitive market,” Maximo said.
The college also offers an Associate of Science Degree in network administration/hardware with wireless technology. It provides entry-level skills in areas like network design, network administration, and network configuration. Coursework emphasizes Windows and A+ training. The program is designed to prepare a graduate for entry-level employment in network administration in as little as 18 months.
