The G.I.R.L. program encourages women to pursue careers in the gaming industry.

Sony Online Entertainment has announced that Erin Loelius of Manasquan, NJ, has been named the winner of the 2014 Gamers in Real Life (G.I.R.L.) Scholarship. She has been awarded a $10,000 scholarship for her college tutition and will have a 10-week paid internship at SOE this summer, working on both Landmark and EverQuest Next.

"I grew up playing games, so inspiration from video games has always found a way into my art, and that's what makes this internship opportunity so amazing and fitting," said 2014 G.I.R.L. winner Erin Loelius. "Someday I hope to collaborate on games with the same quirkiness and whimsy of games I grew up on. I'd love to create something that pushes people's imaginations and makes them remember their gaming childhood."

This year's G.I.R.L. qualifications required submissions of concept art based on PlanetSide 2 or the EverQuest franchise. Erin's winning entry can be seen below (click to enlarge).

For more information about G.I.R.L., visit www.girl.soe.com. You can also follow G.I.R.L. on Twitter or on Facebook!

Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor