Buncombe County Schools (BCS) is filled with extraordinary, talented, and one of a kind students from Kindergarten and beyond. The BCS Student Spotlight is a way to highlight the awesome work our students do each day. This spotlight features Haw Creek Elementary fifth grader Finn Cramer.
Finn is like most fifth grade boys; he loves to play with his friends whether it's outside or on a video game. Finn’s passion for video games goes deeper than just picking up the gaming controller. He loves to dig deeper by discovering what makes it work. Finn has taken the love for games to a whole new level; he not only plays the games but builds them as well.
“When Finn first showed me his game that he made coding I was blown away,” said Finn’s teacher Sarah Camby. “I’ve been teaching fifth grade for a long time, and the ambition mixed with hard work he put into making his game is unlike anything I’ve seen before.”
Immediately after hearing about Finn’s game, Ms. Camby shared it with the classroom and fellow teachers. Excitement buzzed around the school, though Finn makes the process sound easy.
“Coding the game can be a little tricky,” he said. “My dad helped me when some of the backend of the game gets complex. It’s always fun playing something that you create, and I get to share this cool project with others.”
Ms. Camby said that Finn’s knowledge helps his class dig deeper into discovering more about the world around them.
“Finn is always sharing with the class about the content he knows,” she said. “When we have a group discussion I can always count on Finn to add a layer of depth to whatever the subject matter is. He is such a curious student that strives daily to do his best.”
As for Finn he says he will continue making games, and adding new elements to surprise his new fan base
“I like coming up with different themes or new ideas,” he said. “I don’t think I want to design games when I get older, but this could help with whatever I decide to do.”