ADA, Okla. - In April of 2025, East Central University senior Maia Clark took her passion for competitive esports to the next level, collaborating with Gen.G and McDonald's Gaming for the prestigious Gaming Leaders of Tomorrow program.

Along with four other students selected from the Southern Plains region of the United States, Clark worked to plan an esports event with a $10,000 budget. The event, hosted at Wichita State University, featured several booths dedicated to showcasing the history of esports, equipped with retro consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, offering attendees the opportunity to interact with technological relics in a fun and tactile way.

"It was a lot of fun," said Clark of her experience, adding, "it taught me a lot about the esports industry and gave me the opportunity to work with professionals in the field of esports education and outreach, which is something I am very passionate about."

Following the Gaming Leaders of Tomorrow event, Clark was extended the opportunity to attend the Esports World Cup hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a part of the Gen.G Superfan program.

At EWC, she had the opportunity to witness chess legends such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi compete for the Grand Champion title. "It was surreal," she comments, "seeing the greatest chess players in the world in their element, only a few feet away."

And of her experience serving alongside other students representing Gen.G, she remarked, "I was endlessly inspired by my colleagues; they were passionate, creative, brilliant... Some were storytellers or players themselves. It is humbling to know that we all come from somewhere, and we all share this desire to make our mark on this industry in unique ways."

Clark plans to continue her esports involvement through Gen.G this December, as she was accepted into the Gen.G Practicum Abroad program, which offers selected students the chance to travel to Gen.G's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, for a three-week, esports-career-focused educational course. A representative from Gen.G noted, "[I'm] excited to see [her] continue to perform great, and do more projects in the future."

Having traveled from Wichita to Riyadh, along with plans to take her love of gaming to Seoul, Clark hopes to continue shaping the future of esports, both as a competitor and as a creative professional."

Cutline: Photo of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, captured by Clark.

-ECU-