Love of video games, writing puts student on unique career path

Video games are more than a hobby for Hisham Almadani, they have been an important part of life. 

Almadani, a student at University of Detroit Mercy, grew up playing a wide variety of video games and hopes to make a career writing about esports. 

“Video games have been an integral part of my life ever since I was a little boy,” said Almadani, whose favorite games include Minecraft and Counter-Strike. “I think my earliest memories of video games were just me going to local gaming cafes. I was just playing for hours and it was super fun.” 

Writing also appealed to Almadani since he was young. But during COVID, he decided to combine his passions for writing and esports. He started writing about gaming and esports on the website Medium and now writes for Esports Insider, a news website, and Team Liquid, a professional esports organization. 

With Team Liquid, Almadani gets to experience different writing styles outside of standard journalism, including brand copy. 

“I find myself learning a lot there and growing as a writer,” he said. 

Almadani also experiences writing and video games at UDM. He's involved with the Varsity News and the University’s Esports Club, as well as the Muslim Student Association. 

Attending UDM was an easy decision for Almadani, who was familiar with the University before becoming a student. Both of his older brothers studied Biology at UDM and have helped him with the transition from high school to college. 

“I had already visited and I liked the campus,” he said. “I had met a couple of my older brother’s professors, so I was just kind of most comfortable choosing Detroit Mercy.” 

Almadani, who just finished his freshman year at UDM, isn’t sure where his future will take him. But he’s excited about the opportunities that await him, both on campus with the Varsity News and Esports Club, and in esports journalism. 

“Having those tools and just things available for me that a university like Detroit Mercy can offer, it’s amazing and very helpful to a resume or just for learning in general,” he said.