Never too late: How one mature student is making his mark in game design

View the original article by Jihee Junn at The Spinoff.

Returning to study in your 30s or 40s can be daunting, but the rewards are often immense. As part of The Spinoff's series talking to people who’ve retrained at Yoobee College of Creative Innovation, Leon Coertze tells Jihee Junn how he built a career out of doing what he loves.

With just a few months of his degree left to go, Leon Coertze is in the last stretch of developing his final project, a VR game aimed at teaching young adults and children about the life cycle of sea turtles and the dangers they face. The project is part of Coertze’s Honours year studying for Yoobee’s Bachelor of Animation – a multidisciplinary three-year animation degree (four years with Honours) specialising in story and character, visual effects, or interactive media and games. For Coertze, who has a passion for all things gaming, the four-year degree was ideal. But Coertze isn’t your typical student: unlike most of his peers starting out in their late teens and 20s, Coertze began his studies when he was 36 years old.

Embarking on a new career path later in life is no easy feat, and while Coertze admits he initially had his reservations, he has no regrets. Yoobee’s Bachelor of Animation offers students a comprehensive foundation in animation techniques for the digital world. Through hands-on projects, Coertze was able to hone his skills in 2D and 3D animation, game development and immersive environment creation, preparing him for a career in both independent and studio settings.

‘I took that jump, and I’m not regretting it at all.’ Leon Coertze photographed at home by Ralph Brown.

In 2022, he was selected by Yoobee for a 12-week Metaverse Mentored Internship at WIR Group in Jakarta, Indonesia. Part of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme, the internship allowed him to work on the initial phase of the Nusameta metaverse, enabling users to create avatars on their digital devices by leveraging AR, VR, and AI technology. That same year, Coertze was also featured in The UP 100 – a selection of 100 exceptional students and graduates achieving success across Australasia and beyond.

Set to step forth into the real-world gaming industry next year ahead of his 40th birthday, Coertze explains why he decided to return to study, what his course and tutors at Yoobee were like, how he came to intern at one of Indonesia’s top tech companies, and why we should always remember the value of lifelong learning.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What were you doing before deciding to study gaming?

At the time, I was working as a drain unblocker and a CCTV camera operator for Auckland Council, as well as taking on jobs like laser-cutting, engraving, and website design through my own business on the side. Before that, I worked a lot of different jobs in a lot of different industries ranging from real estate to aviation to IT.

Photo: Ralph Brown

So what inspired you to make the change?

Gaming has always been a passion of mine. I love playing games and I just thought now was the time. I’d done this, I’d done that, and I just thought it was time to do what I wanted to do now.

I never had the opportunity to study gaming because I had to get a job, I had to get myself settled in New Zealand after moving here from South Africa about 17 years ago, and then I was just in the daily grind.

Another driving factor for making the change was actually my divorce, which made me think that now was the time for big changes. So I took that jump, and I’m not regretting it at all.

As an older student than the majority of your classmates, was it a difficult decision to return to study?

In the back of my head, I did think “oh, you’re going to be the oldest person there, you’re going to be with a bunch of teenagers fresh out of school!” So yeah, initially it was kind of worrying. But then I thought: this isn’t about them, this is about me. So I just went for it.

When I first started I did get a lot of people asking how old I was, and when I’d tell them they’d be taken aback because I’m almost double the age of some of these kids! But I think the way Yoobee handled me as a student was no different than any other student, which is something I really appreciated.

‘I thought: this isn’t about them, this is about me. So I just went for it.’ (Photo: Ralph Brown)

What was behind your decision to study at Yoobee? What made it different from other institutions?

When I heard of some of the people who worked at Yoobee, I recognised some of the names from games I’d played and movies I’d watched. That appealed to me because I think all the tutors here are industry-leading professionals, and they’re still in the industry which means they can give you the information that’s valid right now. I also felt that at other schools it was more about the numbers, whereas at Yoobee it immediately felt like the focus was about the students, their progression, and securing their careers.

What was your experience studying at Yoobee like? What sort of things did you learn during your course?

The course was extremely hands-on. We started from the ground up which gave me the fundamental technical skills for everything I needed to learn. The course also had a lot of group activities which is quite important, because out in the industry you have to know how to work in a team. While I already knew a lot about that as someone who’s worked in big corporations and owned my own business, it was still impressive to me how they were teaching this to students. Even things like how to write business plans which aren’t purely animation-related but are skills you’re going to need afterwards if you want to manage yourself.

Having completed your degree, you’re now doing Honours, a year focused on producing a substantial piece of work through self-directed study and academic research. Looking back over the past four years, what are your impressions of the tutors?

They were amazing. They knew what they were talking about, and if they didn’t have the answers straight away, they’d always get back to you that evening with a personal message. They really looked out for the students. In particular, my 3D tutor, Dean Stolpmann, was a massive inspiration for me. Also Raymond McGrath, who is such a great storyteller. He really pushed me to be more creative in story writing.

Priyan Jayamaha has also been a tremendous help throughout my studies. He’s always been dedicated to providing support where it’s needed, even going the extra mile to check in during holidays. His guidance has been invaluable, offering feedback and advice that’s helped me grow not only academically but also personally. His commitment to ensuring the success of his students really sets him apart. I’m incredibly grateful for all his efforts and dedication.

Photo: Ralph Brown

I understand you were selected for a 12-week internship at a company in Indonesia. How did you apply for the internship and what was the experience like?

During school holidays, one of my lecturers left me a note asking if I’d seen the latest on Yoobee’s homepage about the internship. I was encouraged to apply so I did and ended up being selected for the internship at WIR Group helping to develop some of the metaverse used in Indonesia.

The experience was amazing. I really wish I could go back. They really spoiled us too with trips to Bali or some luxurious hotel every other weekend, so it was definitely the life!

What was your reason for deciding to pursue further study after completing your three-year degree?

I decided to continue onto my Honours year just to give myself a year to work on my project. It’s a VR game called Life of Tim and you play a baby sea turtle who has to make it from out of the egg, down the beach, and into the ocean. The goal is to teach young adults and children about the life cycle of turtles and raise awareness of some of the dangers they face.

It sounds like a really cute and fun game, but also something that has a serious message behind it.

It’s definitely meant to be like that. Everything about the turtle is extremely cute. But once you see things though the turtle’s viewpoint, you see how everything’s so big with all these seagulls and seals swooping down at you. The game really gives you a sense of what it’s like to be small and vulnerable in the world, and needing to do everything on your own. My hope is that it’ll teach people that yes, your life will be hard, but you just have to persevere and you’ll get to the other side. You might have a few bumps and bruises along the way, but you’re going to be a stronger person for it.

Photo: Ralph Brown

What else are you currently up to right now? And do you have any ideas on what you’d like to do in the future?

At the moment I’m running a Rust game server using my 3D skills. I’m taking the core game and modifying the map and writing different configurations of how the game interacts. I only started about a month ago, but already I’ve got 10 users with up to five active daily players.

In the future, I’d love to carry on working with VR. But once I graduate, I’ll definitely be open to all sorts of roles across the gaming industry as well as the film and visual effects industries. I consider myself quite a fast learner, so put me in the environment for a couple months and I’ll understand how it’s done.

Lastly, what would you say to those who are thinking of studying gaming? Especially those considering returning to study as an older student like yourself?

I’d definitely say just do it. I know there’ll always be that little voice in the back of your head saying “I’m too old to do this now, everyone’s so young.” But just do it.

I’m competing against teenagers who are already making extremely good games, and watching YouTube videos by 18-year-olds showing me how to use this programme I’ve been studying for a year now. So it doesn’t matter how old you are – you’ll always constantly learn. I learn something new every day, even if it’s just the smallest little thing. Because technology always changes, and we have to change with it.