Hideo Kojima

A Self - Portrait of Hideo Kojima (http://bit.ly/1GnePF5 (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP))

Since age four, I have a growing interest in video games. My dream career would be designing video games or something related. Shortly after this, I discovered Hideo Kojima, a professional video game designer. I find his path to success and work ethic inspiring, since the challenges he overcame molded his character. The poverty of his youth didn't stop him from becoming successful. Though I am currently only a high school freshman, Kojima inspires me to overcome whatever obstacles lie before me on my way to my dream career.

 According to The Art Career Project website, Video design is a challenging and competitive career that requires extensive preparation, a desirable educational background, being able to work together and get along people, with originality, creativity, and patience In 2012, video game designers had a median annual salary of $61,370, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Occupational Outlook Handbook. To be able to enter this career, one must graduate from a college program in video game design, graphic design, animation, or computer science, according to the Art Career Project website. After graduation, a prospective video game designer enter smaller companies that are more interested at hiring people but provides smaller and more limited salaries. They may also enter larger companies that are more structured, more challenging to enter to, but promises more pay. Other careers that are related to this career are 3d animation, graphic design, computer animation, and cartooning. 

My personal career hero Hideo Kojima began his life as an introvert who had a few friends. He was also a latchkey child; since his father died when he was only 13 years old and he spent most of his time alone and his mother that's always away at work (wikiwand). When he was in university, he took economics classes, but he dropped out because he decided to work for video game design during his fourth year in university (wikiwand). Kojima's first job in 1986 at Konami's MSX Home Computer was marred by several failures. Eventually, he made a PlayStation game called "Metal Gear Solid" in 1998 that became popular among industry insiders and fans and made him a celebrity in the gaming industry (thefamouspeople). Now, he works as the vice president for a Video Game company called Kojima Productions.

My personal career hero contributes to society in different ways: filmmaking, writing, and video game design. Before he was at his video game career, he was interested at filming and writing and those interests helped influence his games. At his career, he left his mark at the industry primarily through his video game series, Metal Gear Solid. One of his influential works, "Metal Gear Solid", a video game series he created, has a unique storyline and this game is largely focused on stealth and strategy than common cliches in video games like brute violence and force (thefamouspeople). 

To be able for me to pursue my dream career like Hideo Kojima, I need to excel academically. First, I need to earn more than the minimum passing grade, I need to participate in clubs to reflect how involved I am in high school, and I need to be wise at picking classes in order to prove myself that I don't only have good work ethics, but I am wise at planning and decision making. For example, I will take specific classes in high school that will help me reach my goals in life and my dream career like animation, computer science, and video production. After high school, I consider going to University of California, Irvine, for its near distance from my home, its affordable tuition fee (not including room and board), and its wide variety of different classes. At college, I will earn a computer game science major because choosing this major will help me reach my dream career and my goals in life. Once I finish college, I will start at the bottom of my career and I will work my way up even if I face challenges and rejections, just like how my personal career hero succeeded at aiming at working for his dream career a reality. When I hopefully reach my dream career, I hope that I will also make myself a positive inspiration for others to succeed in their goals and I hope that I will continue to retain to the ways I worked to reach my goals like keeping myself humble, hardworking, and honest.