Pierce Kester
Pierce Kester knows his degree in computer science will help him land a job in the tech sector, but he also wants to stay open to pursuing other dreams, such as filmmaking.
Kester was born and raised in France, three miles from the Swiss border. He attended a private school, where he honed his innate computer skills.
“When I was six years old, I knew computers like the back of my hand,” Kester said. “In my last year of high school, I took a computer programming class and since then I’ve just been continuing to learn.”
Watching movies with his dad on weekends fostered a competing love for film, especially sci-fi, and a desire to become a director.
Upon graduating high school, Kester considered majoring in film — what his dad studied in college — but ultimately chose to develop his knowledge of programming.
Following a big move to Utah in 2020, Kester now studies computer science at Weber State University, where he also takes electives that keep him creatively engaged.
During his time at WSU, Kester fused his skills in computer programming and creative thinking by launching his own video game, SKIRMISH, a multiplayer arcade-style game for PC.
“Two summers ago, I sat down at my computer and I thought, ‘You know, I just want to be a spaceship and blow up other spaceships.’ So I started coding it,” he said.
A friend told Kester about the Wildcat MicroFund, which helps entrepreneurs bring business ideas to life. Kester presented his idea to a team of experts — what he called a “small-scale Shark Tank” — who awarded him $1,000 to further research and develop his product.
From prototypes to software engineering, Kester spent four hours a day at his desk over the course of a month. Polishing the demo took another four months, which involved recruiting dozens of gaming friends to test the product, along with their non-gaming parents.
Impressed by the results, a Wildcat MicroFund mentor awarded Kester an additional $3,000 to turn the game into something that can sell. Now, it’s available to purchase on Steam.
“That was a great learning experience to build my portfolio, get my name out there,” Kester said.
With his game on the market, Kester works toward his computer science degree while also taking other courses such as screenplay writing and creative writing — the latter of which resulted in him presenting an original short story during this year’s National Undergraduate Literature Conference.
“There’s a lot of opportunity at Weber State,” Kester said. “I’ve really had a great time connecting with students and getting to know professors. I still talk to a lot of the professors I had my first year.”
Kester said he loves going to school — he even spent a year studying at the University of Geneva — and would consider getting another degree in film.
“The ultimate dream is to direct a movie,” Kester said. He’s inspired by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, particularly his knack for visual storytelling and world-building.
“Being at Weber, more than anything, has made me realize there’s so much I can do,” Kester said. “Right now I’m in a place where I just say yes to things, talk to lots of people, take every opportunity.”