Andon Denkov, lecturer at ARC Academy – for his passion for teaching and social activities
Andon Denkov works as a game developer at Gameloft Sofia and is one of the lecturers in this year’s Preliminary Course for the academic year 2024/2025. He says that he is inspired by everything and always looks for meaning in entertainment. Throughout his life, he defined himself as an athlete and musician. Still, for the last five years, he has been teaching at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Sofia University, where he graduated as a software developer. He has volunteered and organized events of all kinds – soft skills training, sports tournaments for 100+ participants, literary contests, Welcoming students events and concerts with between 1000 and 15,000+ spectators. Find out more about the lessons he learned and what motivates him to teach in the interview.
What projects have you worked on so far?
During my studies, I went through various student projects on e-commerce, information systems, console image editors and automated generation of 3D objects in CAD. All of this helped me realize that game development was the right path and truly desired development for me. That is why from 2023 I am working at Gameloft on the limitless March Of Empires project.
What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned professionally?
Ask questions constantly, especially yourself. Take your time and challenge yourself to find the answers. You will only sometimes succeed, so your colleagues will be there to help you. But along the way you will find even more important questions and their answers. Understand how people in your and other teams work and interact so that they can craft the pieces and put them together into a great project. And of course, look for the fun in the work process, in the environment and in the people you do it with.
Do you play for fun? What are your favorite games right now?
Yes, the legends that introduced me to this world and I still replay sometimes are Heroes Of Might And Magic III, GTA San Andreas NFS Underground 2 and Most Wanted. I was introduced to strategic games by the Bulgarian Imperia Online, which for the first time gave rise to an idea in my head that I too could deal with this professionally. I’m currently enjoying the Forza Horizon series and one by one the various Assassin’s Creeds I haven’t played yet.
What inspired you to be a lecturer in the ARC Academy Preliminary Course and what can the students in your class expect?
I’m always excited to pass on what I’ve learned and experienced to others who have taken the first step to ask for it. I am inspired by the idea that I will be able to introduce students to a whole new world for them. They will be able to choose for themselves what they want to take, which of his doors to open and how to use all their imagination, seeing what results it can lead us to. And I will help them develop the necessary skills to turn it into something real the way they want it to be.
If you also love math and computer science and want to code for games, check out ARC Academy’s Game Programming program. Apply during Early Admission, until March 31, and join the Preliminary Course for this academic year.
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