Pasco County teen creates game that won prestigious competition

TRINITY, Fla. - Alexander Thomas won a prestigious drone-themed competition and the experience changed his life.

"I've been coding for, I'd say a good majority of my life, but I've been coding here at Code Ninjas for a year and a half," said Thomas.

Thomas spends countless hours honing his coding skills on his computer.

"What I like about coding is that it allows me to make my vision come true," he explained. "And I like just watching the game grow and just prosper as I keep working on the projects."

His hard work and creativity has paid off. He is one of just eight teens selected as winners of Code Ninjas Prodigy Program.

"The winners of the competition were allowed to go to Texas -- Dallas, Texas -- for a full-expenses-paid trip. And they were allowed to interact with the drones and the Sky Elements team and design a section of a drone show," Thomas shared.

"We teach kids coding through creating their own video games," said Vivian Michaels, Code Ninjas Owner.

The contest was sponsored by Code Ninjas, a leader in kids coding education, and Sky Elements a drone show company.

"Our game-based curriculum fuses creativity and promotes critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills," Michaels explained.

Thomas used his skills to craft his game-winning entry.

"I entered a game to the contest called Drone Destruction. So basically, you play as the main character, and you go through a dungeon filled with robotic enemies, and you try to save your friend from the virus," he said.

Thomas hopes to one day make his mark in the landscape of technology.

"It was pretty cool seeing my vision in the sky, that was created by the Sky Elements team," Thomas said.

To play Drone Destruction, click here.

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