At 22, Devon Drumm is a graduate of the Art Institute of Vancouver with a focus on graphic design, has created his own gaming start up called Pepperdev Studios, and is now working on Hungry Fins, a mobile game app that can be purchased in app stores once funded and produced. Let’s not forget that he can now add “Y57′s Youth of the Month” on to his list of accomplishments!

Being 22 and trying to pay your way through school is hard enough. But now, having graduated and wanting to make your way in this world is a whole new ball game. Devon studied hard to get to where he is today but although he enjoys graphic designing and working with the latest games, it isn’t all fun and games for the guy. Nonetheless he has found a way to work hard, make money to live, and spend all his spare time doing what he loves, all for the greater purpose of progressing, learning and one day being able to work in the sector that he enjoys. He shows us all that we can have a dream, and although it may take a bit of work, sweat, tears and of course sleepless nights, it is attainable and within reach.

The story began when Devon quit his job with Electronic Arts where he assisted and worked on five different games. After EA, Devon decided to start at an internship at a different start up company where he was able to network and meet new people with similar interests. From there, a discussion on iPhone games sparked, and as they say, the rest is history. Well not really, because Devon made friends with his fellow co-founders for the game Hungry Fins in this discussion, but he was also connected to new people and currently today is working on this iPhone game app and having it ready for this summer.

Hungry Fins is so much more than a game though is what many of us will probably fail to realize when we are playing it on our iPhones, iPads, and various tablets later this summer. So here is what we don’t realize when we install the app. Although we may only spend $1.00 or so on purchasing the app and having it on our device forever, it has taken months of sleepless nights, graphic designers, audio engineers, developers, donors, and investors to kick off such a game. Furthermore, this game that would cost less than purchasing a cup of coffee for many of us, takes hundreds and thousands of dollars to in fact create. However, it isn’t all about creating a game, it is about using skills to develop skills, using interests to spark new interests. This whole aspect of creating a game, an app that is fun for all ages as well as community oriented is a life changing experience.

Now one of the most interesting facts I hope we all keep in mind when we partake in the usage and purchasing of this game is that it is a game that has been created to help other people. With BC Children’s Hospital being very near and dear to the hearts of many of the Hungry Fins team members, they decided when they registered with Kickstarter, which helps fund the app, that partial proceeds from the game would go to the BC Children’s Hospital. To begin, once the game is finalized and in the store, a portion of the proceeds are going to go towards purhcasing iPads for the hospital with the game already pre-loaded on it. So, although this is a future business for Devon and his co-workers, it is also a means of connecting their passions with making a difference in the community as a whole.

I commend Devon for the fact that at the mere age of 22 he has agreed to sacrifice his social life in order to progress in his career and skill sets required to soar high in the graphic designing and gaming sectors. There is a lot of competition out there for these guys because in a sense it’s like the small guys are trying to catch up with the big guys, but that hasn’t changed anything for Devon and the Hungry Fins crew, they have remained motivated and intend to launch the game in no time.

Devon shows us that although we may have dreams that at first seem unattainable, we have to get up off that chair, take a risk, perhaps a calculated one, and believe that if we want it, we can achieve it. Also, we can make a difference while doing so!

Check out the Hungry Fins Kickstarter page and donate towards the project!

Click HERE to nominate someone you think deserves to be named Y57′s Youth of the Month!