MORE ABOUT JASON
Graduation Date: June 2008
Hometown: Alsip, Illinois
High School: Marist High School, Chicago
Awards & Achievements:
- Dean’s List
- DePaul Presidential Scholar
- Study Abroad Melbourne, Australia Participant
- Top of Class, CDM
- Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Campus Involvement:
- Co-Coordinator CLIC (Computer Literacy in our Community)
- Catholic Campus Ministry
- DePaul Ambassadors
- Intramural sports
Current Employment:
- IT Support for Direct Trading Group in the Chicago Board of Trade
- Door man and bar back at Durkin’s Tavern
Jason Pecho
Area of Study:Computer Game Development
I chose my major because... I enjoy playing video games. I am also interested in computer science. It seems to me the perfect combination of the two is being able to enjoy your work once you’ve completed it. Developing computer games seems embodies this concept perfectly.
My favorite thing to do on campus is... attend DAB social events. My favorite is FEST because the wide variety of music talent that DePaul students get a chance to see for a minimal price. Plus, it’s a lot of fun.
I decided to attend DePaul because... I grew up in a very close south suburb of Chicago. DePaul gave me a chance to stay in the city I grew up in and love and not be far from home. Also, I don’t know of any other universities as well-known as DePaul that offer a computer game development degree.
The learning environment here at DePaul is... amazing. I think the biggest class I’ve taken may have had 40 students in it. DePaul’s professors, more often than not, are wholly invested in the learning process, often going out of their way in order to make sure students learn and get any help needed.
My favorite professor at DePaul is... Jerry Schnepp. I only had him for one class but he’s young and connects with students on a very good level. He taught some great design concepts and made Photoshop an easy tool to learn for students that had no previous experience in using the program.
When I have free time, I like to... chill out. It seems with each passing year, my free time diminishes more and more. So with the minimal free time I have, I usually hang out with friends, watch TV, or read a book.
My favorite thing to do off campus is... go to concerts. Chicago is such an amazing city for music. Venues range from Kingston Mines (21+) for an intimate encounter with blues, to the Metro, with local bands to bigger bands, all the way to the Allstate, which hosts bands that sell out football stadiums. I love live music, and in Chicago, there is no lack of it.
The Study Abroad Program is an attractive option for students considering attending DePaul because... DePaul’s Study Abroad Program is expansive and easy. By expansive, I mean that there is no lack in diversity of the locations that DePaul students can choose from. I went to Australia but that was one of many, many destinations. By easy, I do not mean easy getting into the program. The program is competitive but that only makes it more worthwhile. When I say easy, I mean that most of the important stuff is included in your program fees. It takes some of the stress of finding somewhere to live, paying rent, allotting money for food, etc. off of your back so you can focus on your studies and having a good time.
The most memorable part of my Study Abroad experience is... This is a hard question to answer with just one thing because the whole experience was absolutely amazing! I guess the most amazing part was the people I met and made friends with. Some were from the States, some from Australia, and some from other parts of the world. There was no lack of diversity in the students who enrolled at Monash, the school I attended in Australia. But I made some amazing friends and experienced some amazing things, and it is something I’ll not likely forget in the future.
The best thing about DePaul is... acceptance of diversity. I grew up in a pretty conservative area. DePaul has such a diverse makeup ranging from religions, to sexual orientation, to race, and it seems like there is a group for everyone so that no one is left out. It’s an interesting change for me, but one that has probably made me a better person for seeing more of what the world is truly like.
My greatest success as a student here has been... maintaining a GPA above 3.9. I’ve taken a lot of time to make sure that I do my work the best that I can and not turn in anything I’m not proud of. There have been times where I haven’t turned in my best work, but work that I was still proud of, nonetheless. Balancing school, work and pleasure has been a constant struggle, but one that I seem to be winning.
After graduation, I plan to... hopefully get a job working at a gaming company in Chicago. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll probably work on a master's degree in software engineering with a concentration in gaming and media applications here at DePaul.
The one thing I’d like to say to students considering DePaul... no matter where you go, your college experience is what you make of it. That being said, DePaul has a lot to offer to assure that your college experience will be the best that it can be. It’s all yours for the taking.
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