Digital Arts – La Salle University | Philadelphia, Pa.

Jason Roeckle, ’07

Name: Jason Roeckle
Major: Digital Art and Multimedia Design
Graduation Year: Class of 2007
Occupation: Manager of UX engineering at The Walt Disney Company

Jason Roeckle is a 2007 alumnus from La Salle’s Digital Arts program. He is currently a manager of UX engineering at The Walt Disney Company.

Jason says that La Salle University’s Digital Arts and Multimedia Design program provided him with an amazing set of foundational skills involving creative problem solving and expression that he uses every day. While at La Salle, Jason feels that he learned life-long lessons and values. One of the most important values that he learned and that he continues to carry with him throughout his life is to “keep learning.” He says that being inquisitive and having an eagerness to explore will get you far in life. Jason believes that continuous learning is not only recommended but required in order to grow, especially in regard to a career in Digital Arts and technology. “Specifically, when it comes to software, never invest your career entirely into one language or framework. The more diverse your knowledge base is the more valuable you are.” Students should strive to learn new things and expand their knowledge because it can only benefit them. You can learn things everyday from the people around you and share them throughout your life. This perspective led Jason to create and enhance problem solving and other skills while at La Salle. These are skills he continues to improve upon and use even after graduating from La Salle. Another La Sallian value Jason carries with him is to help others. “I strongly believe we should all do what we can, when we can, to help the impoverished and marginalized.”

Currently, Jason works at The Walt Disney Company, a job he received when a recruiter from The Walt Disney Company reached out to him. In his position, Jason creates prototype applications for smartphones, websites, and television devices. These prototypes test out new ideas, designs, and features. “Most of our current projects are top secret, but you can see some of our work from the past in the DisneyNOW, ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic.” In his job with the Walt Disney Company, Jason embodies La Salle’s value of being inquisitive and eager to explore. He is always ready to learn new things and seek new information. He also encourages current students to explore new horizons and expand their knowledge. Regarding his own work, Jason says: “Our own organization recently released a new design for the National Geographic app. Download it, and check it out!”

Jason also provided some great advice to current students. When it comes to networking, Jason says that he tries to connect with as many talented people as possible. “I found this approach works well for discovering new opportunities.” When asked about what advice he has for students who are unsure of what they want to do in the future, Jason acknowledges that it is okay not to know. He says that most students are not sure what they want to do in the future and that it takes time to figure it out. “There’s no shame in that. Keep trying things, explore outside your comfort zone, and you’ll be surprised what you learn.” Overall, Jason advises students to keep learning. Whether students know what they want to do or are still trying to figure it out, he believes that students can grow and improve themselves with what they learn. Choosing to keep exploring shows a true strive for progress.