Ben Ajhar

Student

“I didn’t want to go to just a regular college like everyone else. The Academy allows me to get into what I’m really interested in.”

He had just begun studying interactive media at SMC’s Academy of Entertainment & Technology and—like most of us—it was hard for Ben Ajhar to explain just what the field is all about. “I guess it’s really just using all the different computer technologies to get my artistic abilities across,” explains Ben. “I think I’d like to go into web design or animation, but there’s so much to explore here. And I’m younger, too, so I’m just feeling good about getting such a great start.”

But Ben has discovered that neither he—nor anyone else—is a ‘typical’ SMC student. “It was a little weird coming here from high school and being around a lot of older people, especially in the night classes I took. But I’ve learned a lot from them. One of my best teachers was James Reilly. I studied Flash with him from 6 to 9 pm. David Javelosa is another great teacher. He taught us a little bit of Director, some Dreamweaver… a little bit of everything. He got really in-depth with his stuff, and it’s easy to tell he’s had a lot of professional experience that he’s passing on to us.”   

Ben reports, “It was a little tough leaving my little hometown in Oregon and moving to a big city like LA. But you’ve gotta get out there and make different experiences happen for yourself.” He adds that, “the way to get the most ‘juice’ out of SMC is to come here with an open mind. You can’t just expect to learn a program or two. Just don’t be afraid to experiment. There are things I’m learning now at the Academy that I thought I’d never study. But you know what? They’re some of my favorite classes.”

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