In this week's installment of our New Grad QA series we hear from Jake Pearce, a journalism major who will be working as a Social Marketing Manager for EA Games Label after graduation.

How did you find out that you would be receiving a scholarship?

I was tricked into thinking Id be receiving a pretty ordinary call about some work things. When I answered the phone, they sprung the scholarship on me. I dont think you couldve found a happier guy in Wisconsin that day.

What was the most valuable part of your EA internship?

It was definitely valuable for me to see how a big company like EA works from the inside. Ive learned a lot in my years at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, but the experience of working on important projects that directly impact the entire company and everything that comes along with that process is something you can only learn on the job. Ill carry that knowledge with me for the rest of my career.

What has surprised you the most about working at EA?

How passionate everyone is about what theyre doing here. Ive been working since I was 16, but those were just jobs that paid the bills. I hadnt really found something that made me want to go to work every day until EA. Being surrounded by all of these gamers and intensely creative people provides great motivation to always improve, and every day is another exciting challenge.

What are you working on now and whats your favorite part of the job?

Right now Im working on my last semester of college, but Ill be back at EA soon enough. One of my favorite parts of the job (besides the occasional free bagel) is brainstorming with the brilliant people I work with. Being able to explore new ideas among other passionate gamers is wonderful. But my absolute favorite thing is when we finally get to share the awesome stuff weve been working on with the world. Theres nothing better than being able to share the excitement I have for the games I love with everybody!

Tell us about your career aspirations.

Ive wanted to work with video games for most of my life now, so this is already a dream come true. Im very excited to work in the online community area of gaming. Like I was saying earlier, theres nothing I like more than sharing the excitement I have for games with all of the wonderful people out there who play them. Beyond that, Ive always had a strong interest in the storylines of games. I think games provide an incredibly unique way to tell stories and explore new worlds. Thats why, one day, Id love to be part of the creation of storylines and dialogue.

What lessons have you learned since joining the team?

The list of all the lessons Ive learned here wouldnt fit in this interview, but I think the most important one is to push myself every day. Its something I picked up from everyone on my team their passion is something I aspire to match. Working with games is a special thing to me, and I plan on giving it my all.

As a new graduate, what do you think you bring to the table that may be different than a veteran?

I hope I can bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to the table, along with a bit of youthful enthusiasm. After spending the entirety of my life in school up to this point, I couldnt be more thrilled to tackle a new and entirely different challenge.

Interested in learning more about EA's University Relations? Follow the team on Twitter athttps://twitter.com/URinTheGame. And be sure to check out the other QA's in this serieshereandhere.