Jillian Thomason, Ethan Gamble and Frida Peralta
NIU is pleased to announce this year’s Fierce Gamer Scholarship winners: Frida Peralta, Jillian Thomason and Ethan Gamble. Since 2022, a total of seven students have received the scholarship, created by Dr. Levi Harrison. The $1,000 scholarship rewards NIU students who promote physical, mental and emotional health among video gamers, as well as a welcoming and inclusive video gaming community.
Dr. Harrison – known as “the gamers and esports doctor” – is an orthopedic surgeon who has treated hand and wrist injuries in many of the world’s top esports athletes. He’s also a mental health advocate and a video game competitor who is part of the esports community. Dr. Levi, as he’s known to esports athletes, has partnered with NIU Esports for several years for Healthy Gaming Day, the NIU Esports Career Lecture Series and the Fierce Gamer Scholarship. NIU esports athletes have also beta tested Dr. Levi’s Fierce Gamer app, which provides exercises, meditations, healthy eating advice, and other information to promote gamers’ physical and mental well-being.
“NIU and Dr. Levi share a commitment to building community and promoting healthy gaming practices,” says Conner Vagle, NIU Esports director. “We emphasize a balance between playing video games, studying, resting, exercising and building positive relationships. Thanks to Dr. Levi’s talks at our annual Healthy Gaming Day event, his YouTube videos teaching everything from hand exercises to meditation, and his Fierce Gamer app, our student gamers are developing healthier habits and relationships that will last a lifetime.”
Dr. Harrison says, “I want this scholarship to demonstrate that gaming can be part of a balanced and healthy life. I’m thrilled that these NIU students are really dedicated, not only to their education, but also to supporting and helping the esports gaming community. I think it’s so important that esports athletes continue to engage their communities, to grow and learn from their life experiences, but most importantly to give back.”
“For me, this scholarship and my focus on healthy gaming is all about being mindful of living an optimal life. An optimal life is one of service, gratitude, giving, teaching and forgiveness. To live an optimal life is not all about you, but rather about what you give back to your communities.”
Meet the Scholarship Winners
Frida Peralta
Frida Peralta is an NIU senior majoring in sociology. Peralta says she applied for this scholarship because she has experienced firsthand both the benefits of a healthy, welcoming gaming community and the downsides of an unhealthy approach to video gaming. Peralta has long loved meeting friends from around the world and playing with them online. However, Peralta says during COVID lockdown, her video gaming schedule became unhealthy.
“I realized I was not taking breaks from my screen, and I was spending at least eight hours a day on my laptop.”
Once she came to NIU, Peralta prioritized academics and got back on a healthy schedule. At first, she no longer had time to play video games, but in her sophomore year, she joined a community of NIU student gamers, many of whom are her closest friends to this day. She found a healthy balance of work, rest and gaming.
“Speaking broadly, I think too much of something is never good,” she says. “I think it’s important to outline your priorities and develop good time management, where you are not sacrificing or ignoring certain needs.”
“I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to apply for this scholarship, and it will help me achieve my educational aspirations during my final year at NIU and beyond.”
Jillian Thomason
Jillian Thomason is an NIU senior majoring in statistics. She’s also a member of NIU’s varsity Overwatch team. Thomason works to dispel negative stereotypes of gamers through her actions and writing, and she has given presentations to other esports athletes sharing tips for game-day preparation – including rest, eating, stretches, expectations and mindset.
“Healthy practices not only help us physically, but also mentally,” Thomason says. “Mental health is extremely important as gamers because there is so much teamwork involved in the games that we play. Your attitude toward a game can impact your play and your communication significantly.”
Thomason works to approach each game “confident and realistic about my abilities to not be perfect but learn from my mistakes.”
She’s excited to win the Fierce Gamer Scholarship because it gives her greater opportunities to share healthy gaming tips with fellow gamers. She is looking forward to beginning her master’s degree in data analytics next year and would like to become an esports coach and mentor.
Ethan Gamble
Ethan Gamble is an NIU senior majoring in computer science and a member of NIU’s varsity Overwatch team. He first began to appreciate the importance of healthy gaming when – as a sophomore in high school – he had to take a four-month break from video gaming due to a wrist injury.
“In high school, I was a part of fencing and orchestra while also having a rising local career in competitive Super Smash Bros,” Gamble says. “I would practice smash for two hours a day, then practice my viola for 30 minutes a day, and practice fencing for three hours a week. The pain got to a point where I started needing to take extreme breaks from all my activities. Had I known how important simple exercises were, I wouldn’t have put myself in jeopardy.”
Now, at NIU, Gamble begins from a foundation of healthy gaming so he can perform to the best of his ability.
“When I was trying to decide what school I was going to, a big draw was the NIU Esports program. Being involved with NIU Esports changed my life, and the Fierce Gamer Scholarship will help me continue to play while I finish my degree.”
Learn more about NIU Esports and the Fierce Gamer Scholarship on the NIU Esports website.
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