肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 13, 2022

肉肉传媒 senior Bonga Maswanganye said it was an often-misunderstood hobby that led him to his now promising career path as a programmer and virtual designer.

The Marietta resident and major is set to graduate Dec. 15 and go to work in the video game industry after picking among several offers.

鈥淚鈥檝e always loved video games. I loved playing them, but I was also intrigued by the graphics design, the terrain, the development of the game鈥檚 physics - all of that,鈥� Maswanganye said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see a passion and a lot of hard work translate into being able to do something I love.鈥�

Maswanganye hasn鈥檛 only prepared for his career through coursework and theory at KSU. For several semesters, he worked at within the , developing virtual reality games on which local businesses train their employees.

鈥淔or me, programming is cathartic and gratifying. It鈥檚 so satisfying to envision something and then work hard for weeks until you鈥檝e created this piece of technology that鈥檚 just like you鈥檝e seen in your head,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much more to game design and programming than most people realize.鈥�

Kevin Markley, virtual reality software developer and Realities Lab manager, said Maswanganye wasn鈥檛 just a worker at the lab - he was a major part of its success during the coronavirus pandemic鈥檚 disruptions and beyond. When students and employees alike had to shift in a weekend to working from home, the lab鈥檚 team still had project deadlines looming with three companies.

Markley said Maswanganye was one of the main reasons those projects for companies, including Cobb EMC, stayed on track.

鈥淭he Realities Lab would be a completely different place without him. He was the only one to stay after the departure of most of the workers in the lab, so he was invaluable for information regarding past projects and equipment,鈥� he said. 鈥淏onga was also the largest contributor to every project since I arrived and without him, none of the projects would have had nearly as much code or be as stable.鈥�

Markley said Maswanganye, who he called an 鈥渁vid seeker of knowledge,鈥� kept working over the summer, even as he鈥檇 traveled to South Africa to visit family, to make sure any project bugs were addressed and lab needs filled.

鈥淚'm extraordinarily happy for Bonga, and I'm a little jealous of those who will work with him in the industry,鈥� Markley said. 鈥淭he lab will be completely different without him, from the meetings and discussions to the vast array of equipment calibration and usage, and project work, there isn't anything he hasn't had a hand in. I think it will give a new crowd a chance to shine, and I hope as brightly as he did here.鈥�

肉肉传媒 State鈥檚 are Dec. 13, 14 and 15.

鈥� By Thomas Hartwell
Photos by Matt Yung 

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.