Twenty-one students from two University of Hawai‘i campuses (UH Mānoa and UH West O‘ahu) gained invaluable experience for several weeks this summer at leading esports companies in South Korea and Hawai‘i, another sign of UH’s growing success in this skyrocketing field.
These internships aren’t just about playing games—they’re launching pads into a multi-billion dollar industry where business acumen is as crucial as gaming skills. According to a 2023 report by Statista, the value of the esports market worldwide is expected to grow from $1.64 billion in 2023 to more than $4.8 billion by 2030.
“Overall, this was another banner year for UH Esports (UHE) and the initiative we created to get students interfacing with industry,” said UH Mānoa esports Program Director Nyle Sky Kauweloa.
Interning abroad in South Korea
Twelve students interned at Gen.G and one interned at T1. According to a 2022 Forbes article, Gen.G and T1 were among the top 10 most valuable esports companies in the world, placing 8th and 10th, respectively.
“Due to UHE’s presence, Gen.G has expanded its academic operations within the company to bring in more college students globally for their practicum,” Kauweloa said. “T1 is regarded as the top team in esports within Korea, and normally is much more reluctant with accepting international interns to their company, so to have UH students at both companies in Korea for the summer was an impressive feat for the program.”
Jazmin Horio, a student at UH Mānoa, was UH’s representative at T1. During her internship, Horio worked with T1’s business development department, observing various business initiatives including partnerships for PC cafes, tourism events and community engagement. Her main tasks were to propose ideas for a guided tour aimed at foreign audiences and suggest improvements to the fan loyalty program to diversify its demographics. Horio got a headstart with her internship and spent four months in Korea as she was already studying abroad in Seoul at Yonsei University in spring 2024.
“To be able to join and witness how the most prestigious esports organization in the world navigates being at the top of their industry, it will forever remain one of the best experiences of my life,” Horio said. “Not only did I gain experience in a field I am the most passionate about, but I gained a family at T1 that I’ll be sure to keep in contact with for years to come.”
Jaydon Patoc, an education major at UH West O‘ahu, was among the 12 students at Gen.G. This was Patoc’s second year interning with the company. As part of the education team, Patoc helped create and develop courses for a new Gen.G academy program.
“Being a part of the Gen.G practicum and internship a second year has allowed me to not only see old mentors, but also to meet new mentors and friends as well,” Patoc said. “Through this internship, it has allowed me to develop as a future educator by having experiences in a classroom setting abroad, and developing my own course and lesson plans before I start my student teaching this fall.”
Gaining experience in Hawai‘i
An additional eight students were part of UH’s second cohort to intern at Vanta Esports in Hawai‘i. According to Kauweloa, this internship continues to develop as part of UHE‘s mission to support a local workforce development path in esports in the state.
“The Vanta internship was an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the rapidly evolving esports industry, particularly in Hawai‘i,” said Binh Phan, a student at UH West O‘ahu. “It gave me hands-on experience with analyzing user engagement, auditing UI/UX (user interface and user experience), and understanding the competitive landscape of platforms like PlayVS and Generation Esports.”
The summer interns will share more about their experiences at a UH Esports x Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) networking event on October 25. More details will be announced on PACE’s website and on social media (pacehawaii).
UH Esports receives funding from the Academy for Creative Media System. Visit the UH Esports team’s X and Discord pages. More stories on UH’s esports program.
Article by Marc Arakaki originally posted to UH News on Sept. 16, 2024.