2026 GMGSF College Scholars
We are proud to introduce the 2026 Girls Make Games College Scholars embarking on their
educational journeys at some of the top institutions in the US.
ELLIE SEDGWICK
UMass Dartmouth ‘30
JUNIPER MURDOCK
Clark University ‘30
RILEY BROCKMAN
Northeastern University ‘30
VALENTINA EPIFANOV
SUNY Polytechnic ‘30
As part of the program, all 4 Scholars will receive:
$10,000 College Tuition Grant,
4 years of Mentorship,
Games Industry Internship & Job Placement Support through graduation
The 2026 GMGSF College Scholarship Program is made possible through the generous support from
Take-Two, PlayStation, Humble Bundle and the GMGSF community
Learn more about the GMGSF College Scholarship program here.
Meet the 2026 Scholars
Ellie Sedgwick
I'm Ellie Sedgwick and I grew up in Mass and I'm attending UMass Dartmouth. I've always loved creating, ttrpg, and programming. I'm a long distance athlete and run cross country and track.
Juniper Murdock
Juniper is a first-year student at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, pursuing an self designed major in 3D game design and production and a minor in creative writing. They are an independent game developer, digital artist, and writer who has created 3 original games and participated in Clark’s recent game jam. Their interests include reading, writing, interactive media, and petting as many cats as they can.
Riley Brockman
Riley Brockman was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina and is currently attending Northeastern University for Game Design. She is the author of a published horror novel, a poet, and an artist who finds joy in any and all types of creation. Riley grew up playing video games with her older sister and continued to find enjoyment in video games long after her childhood.
She is particularly interested in disability representation in video games and hopes to one day create video games that put disabled main characters into the spotlight. Her favorite video game is Mirrors Edge: Catalyst.
Valentina Epifanov
I am a Dominican-Russian immigrant who was born in the Dominican Republic before moving to the US at 7 years old. I'm currently attending SUNY Polytechnic as an Interactive Media and Game Design student. I love video games; I used to watch my dad play games like Serious Sam, Bookworm adventures, and Snowy: The Bear's Adventures growing up. Eventually, I picked up playing them myself! I've played a handful of games, but the one I've spent the most time playing is League of Legends.
In their words
“Receiving the game design scholarship to me means that people have faith in my dream!”
- Ellie
“Receiving the Girls Make Games Scholarship means so much to me because it is a recognition of the creativity, dedication, and hard work I've put into game development. As someone who has spent years teaching myself new skills and creating games independently, having that work pay off is incredibly meaningful. The financial support is also greatly appreciated because it allows me to continue pursuing my passion for game design.”- Juniper
“Receiving the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund is something I am beyond grateful for. This fund allowed me to move far from my home and attend my dream school with my dream major. That alone is something I am over the moon about! With this fund my dreams don’t just feel like dreams anymore, they feel achievable. The benefits that come with receiving such a massive opportunity are endless, I couldn’t be more thankful.”
- Riley
“Receiving the GMGSF is a testament of all my hard work coming to fruition. It is an honor to be recognized as a scholarship recipient, and fuels me with motivation to break into the game industry as a game designer!”
- Valentina
2026 College Scholarship Judges Panel
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ALAN LEWIS
VP of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc
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JENNIFER CLARK
GMGSF BOARD MEMBER
Senior VP, Head of Global Corporate Communications and ESG at Sony Interactive Entertainment
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SHAWN LAYDEN
GMGSF BOARD MEMBER
Former Chairman of Playstation Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment -
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PAMELA BLIZZARD
GMGSF BOARD CHAIR
Founder and Former Managing Director, Research Triangle High School
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LAILA SHABIR
GMGSF FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIR
CEO LearnDistrict Inc.
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DREW STANECKI
GMGSF BOARD TREASURER
Controller at The Malala Fund
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FRANCINE KATZ
GMGSF BOARD MEMBER
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Intealth
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![KAMINI TIWARI]()
KAMINI TIWARI
Vice President of Social Impact at Humble Bundle
