In anticipation of this year's upcoming Mary Wash Day on Thursday, April 4th, 2024, Esports Director Mark Link sat down for an interview with 2007 Alumnus Jay Sinha, a cybersecurity/privacy and AI attorney at the Department of Justice. Jay reached out to offer his support for the Esports program early on, and this interview was to both thank him publicly and have a timely conversation about the importance of Esports in building the next generation of digitally skilled working professionals.
Jay Sinha graduated from UMW in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and has been an involved alumnus ever since. Some ways in which he's given back include serving on the Presidential search advisory committee that recommended Dr. Troy Paino, starting the UMW Legal Alumni Network, and sponsoring Giving Day challenges like the one this year for the Esports program. While Jay enjoys playing video games and recalls many fond memories at UMW that centered around games (like big Halo tournaments in Jefferson Hall) Jay's interest in the Esports program is grounded in how future-forward it is
Q: What's the potential for the Esports Program to change the way gaming and community are built on campus?
Jay: Based on what I hear from the students I advise and the cybersecurity hiring initiative calls I attend, Esports teams like UMW's are profound drivers for the community. Many have talked about "loneliness as a public health crisis", but UMW's Esports team is doing something about it. Gaming, particularly on a team, is the kind of inclusive and engaging activity we need at this moment. Esports dovetails well with UMW's deeply ingrained culture of inclusivity, as it's accessible to anyone like those who have encountered barriers within traditional athletics. Gaming is, at its core, a way to tell and shape stories. Since storytelling has always been a bridge between classes, races, and religions, the engrossing form that it takes in gaming gives us a powerful tool to bridge divides at a time when those divides feel further than ever.
Q: Why is a liberal arts education and participation in Esports critical to the next generation of digitally skilled working professionals?
Jay: I cannot emphasize how critical a liberal arts education as powerful as Mary Washington's is needed to address the impacts and harness the potential technology (like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence) have on every industry.]. Every industry needs professionals who can practically consider the big picture of technology's opportunities and failures. While there are plenty of qualified coders, every industry needs more people who are knowledgeable of components such as sociology, policy and rulemaking, and international affairs. These are core components of Mary Washington's liberal arts education and graduates can be the needed critical thinkers in an increasingly cross-disciplined workplace. Esports is an excellent way for students to develop the cross-functional talents needed for the modern workplace – since they hone soft skills like effective communication, teamwork, and flexibility, with technology concepts like system rules and user behavior. Esports athletes generally have a much easier time familiarizing themselves with emerging technologies because Esports directly requires that they engage with many of those emerging technologies in the very games they play. Esports graduates from UMW are uniquely poised to be the most prepared digital workers right from graduation.
Q: Why did you choose to support our Esports Program and why should others?
Jay: During a panel at a privacy conference, the speakers expressed a sincere need for more liberal arts graduates to deal with the technological challenges of today and tomorrow. It caused me to reflect on how Mary Washington's impressive form of liberal arts education empowered my career and knew I had to spread the word. When I saw the good news that Mary Washington had formed an Esports team, I knew it could serve as a foundational building block for a student's professional development, supercharging the ability of a graduate to enter and advance in technology-rich fields. I hope my vocal support and contribution to the Esports program can bridge the gap between a new program that needs alumni champions, with the alumni who are deeply committed to giving our graduates a needed boost in this competitive economy.
Q: What is your favorite gaming-related memory on campus / Do you still actively play any games?
Jay: Oh, there are so many…but a timely one is when Resident Evil 4 (a horror/action game that's been recently re-released) first came out. My friends (Tigran, Hadrian, and I played the game from their second-story room in Randolph Hall. Right from the jump, we were screaming and laughing very loudly as we took turns trying to beat this game. Dean Rucker saw my friends and I on campus walk recognized my voice among the chorus of PlayStation sound effects and asked me (in a kind expression of mock terror" "Are you okay, Jay?! I heard the screaming from Marye House – what WERE you all doing?" Without missing a beat, I launched into a deep explanation of the game, which caused my friends to laugh as Dean Rucker reacted with a look of both amusement and terror that I was explaining the game to him without having taken a breath. Needless to say, it's a core memory for us that we'll cherish forever!
The Esports Program is extremely appreciative of Jay's continued support of our program. We hope that you will join us this Thursday, April 4th from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM as our Director of Esports, Mark Link, livestreams his attempt to play the game "Getting Over It" from our Esports Arena to celebrate Mary Wash Day!