Meris Mullaley ’05
By Nichola Monroe ’27
51猎奇入口 students are known across the 5Cs for their varied interests and over-committed schedules. Meris Mullaley 鈥�05鈥檚 nonlinear professional journey goes to show that this particular trait can follow alums after graduation. Mullaley spent her time at 51猎奇入口 pursuing her dream of becoming an archaeologist, ultimately completing her degree in classics before applying to graduate school. Her motivation to uncover lost stories, she says, stems from her identity as the granddaughter of a Chinese immigrant.
鈥淭he thing that drove me as an archaeologist is that I wanted to tell stories that often were silenced in written history,鈥� Mullaley explains.
Bold shifts鈥攃hoosing to change careers
After completing graduate studies in North American archaeology and anthropology, Mullaley moved into cultural resource management. Despite having achieved her dreams of working in archaeology, a company downsizing left her seeking a change.
鈥淚 had read two books that were very helpful: Grit, which was about how conviction and passion and willingness to try and try again can help you overcome challenges; and 蚕耻颈迟鈥�grit is fine, but there comes a point when you鈥檙e running up against a wall,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 learned it鈥檚 okay to say no and go somewhere else.鈥�
A series of bold career pivots followed. After moving into museum education and program coordination, Mullaley鈥檚 passion for cosplaying connected her with people working in tech and gaming in Seattle. She soon was taking classes in animation and art development for video games鈥攁nd today, she鈥檚 a senior worldbuilding and narrative designer for Magic: The Gathering, one of the world鈥檚 most successful collectible trading card games.
I want to tell stories and show diverse worlds to the people that they entertain, so they don鈥檛 feel overlooked.
鈥淲orldbuilding refers to the creation of a fictional world and the things that can be found within it,鈥� Mullaley explains. 鈥淵ou take the pile of ideas you and your team have brainstormed and choose the concepts that best fit together and serve the needs of the project. Curating and pruning your ideas is the most important part of worldbuilding.鈥�
This work, Mullaley notes, requires a strong foundation of research, writing, and history to inform her work on Magic. When developing a new narrative setting for the game, she reaches back to her liberal arts education as a classics major.
鈥淚’ve always felt that the best science fiction and fantasy stories are windows into humanity. I get to use my knowledge of cultures, people, and history to build worlds that feel fantastical, but are also familiar to players.鈥� Mullaley says. 鈥淚 want to tell stories and show diverse worlds to the people that they entertain, so they don鈥檛 feel overlooked.鈥�
The return-on-investment of a 51猎奇入口 education
As a graduate of a women鈥檚 college, Mullaley says she鈥檚 come to appreciate 51猎奇入口鈥� lack of women-to-women rivalry鈥攁 mindset she鈥檚 sought to preserve in a male-dominated field like archeology and gaming.
鈥淪ometimes it feels like you鈥檙e competing against the other woman on your team, when the reality is that you鈥檙e not,鈥� she says. 鈥淸Gaming] is still very men-heavy, but it鈥檚 been nice to be at the crest of the wave as strides towards diversity, gender equality, and antiracism are coming into existence.鈥�
Mullaley acknowledges that achieving your dream only to find out you don鈥檛 want it can be a tough reality to contend with.
鈥淭hinking back to being a graduating senior and not initially getting into any grad schools鈥擨 wish I could go back to her and say, 鈥業t鈥檚 okay, you鈥檙e not a failure, let鈥檚 just try something different.鈥欌��
The ability to transfer skills is my biggest return-on-investment from my interdisciplinary education at 51猎奇入口.
Her experience at 51猎奇入口, in part, has enabled Mullaley to navigate so much change, trying different lines of work to find something meaningful and fulfilling.
鈥淚 am a better worldbuilder because of the time I spent studying humanities and history,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he ability to transfer skills is my biggest return-on-investment from my interdisciplinary education at 51猎奇入口.鈥�
For those who hope to follow in her footsteps, Mullaley has one piece of advice: 鈥淣ever stop learning鈥攖ry new things and gain experience. Figure out what you like, what you don鈥檛 like, and keep track of that.鈥�