He Looked Down and Saw a Helicopter Flying Below Him
Shio pressed his hands against the glass on the 59th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower. A helicopter passed beneath him. Beneath. Like a toy. Like something from a video game.
He’s 17. Grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in East LA with his mom, his grandmother, and two younger sisters. They share a car that doesn’t always start. He’d never been in a building with more than four floors.
“I didn’t know this was real,” he said. “I thought this was just in movies.”
That’s why AccessCon exists. Not to tell kids like Shio that they can dream big. Everyone tells them that. It’s cheap. It costs nothing to say. AccessCon exists to show them the helicopter from above.
Hundreds of disadvantaged high school students gathered for AccessCon 2025, an event built on one powerful idea: access changes everything.
From the moment the doors opened, Games For Love was woven into the heart of the day. Access Con was created to open doors for low-income students and expose them to opportunities they may never have been given before. That mission mirrors Games For Love’s own, creating pathways for underrepresented youth through play, technology, and mentorship. Through programs like Kids of STEAM, Interns International, League of Pros, and the Games For Love Scholarship Foundation, the organization exists not just to inspire kids but to actively help them build futures in gaming and tech.
“Helping kids for life is our tagline,” explained Founder and CEO of Games For Love, Nathan Blair. “We do much more than simply deliver game consoles to hospitals; in fact, we have six active programs. It’s what sets us apart from other charities. It’s what makes us better.”
The day opened with an energizing keynote from Christopher Sean, actor and voice actor known for Ultraman, Like a Dragon, Suicide Squad, Hawaii Five-0, and Days of Our Lives, and a strong Games For Love advocate. Speaking with honesty and heart, Christopher encouraged students to stay connected to what they love. He tied his own creative journey to the mission of Games For Love, reminding the room that play isn’t something you outgrow; it can uplift, heal, and unlock doors to real careers.
He was followed by Allen Dam, veteran Hollywood producer (Fast & Furious, Rambo, Ice Age, The Expendables) and Games For Love Advisor. Allen’s keynote focused on collaboration, contribution, and community—reinforcing that success isn’t defined by titles or credits, but by how you show up for others and how you help open doors behind you.
Access Con puts low-income teenagers in a room with working professionals who came from similar backgrounds. It shows them that the gaming industry, the entertainment industry, the tech industry—these aren’t fantasies. They’re jobs. Possibilities.
It connects them to scholarships, internships, and mentorship programs that create sustainable pathways to economic stability. It gives them what wealthy kids get automatically: access.
Later in the day, Games For Love founder Nathan Blair took the stage and shared how a single act of kindness for one hospitalized child grew into a global nonprofit now reaching more than 3 million children each year across 50 states and 11 countries. But Nathan didn’t just talk about impact—he talked about continuity. About why Games For Love doesn’t believe in “aging kids out,” but instead builds long-term support systems that grow with them through mentorship, education, and career development.
Mentorship is a cornerstone of Games For Love’s work, and the data makes clear why it matters. Youth with mentors are about 20% more likely to attend college, with some mentoring programs reporting college acceptance rates as high as 93%. Mentored students consistently show stronger grades and better study habits. Long-term, the impact compounds: mentored youth earn roughly 15% more in early adulthood, and some studies estimate more than $56,000 in additional lifetime income by age 65. They are significantly less likely to skip school or engage in risky behaviors, report higher self-esteem and emotional resilience, and more than 70% of adults who had a meaningful mentor say that the relationship directly contributed to their later success.
Throughout Access Con, that research came to life.
Students heard from a diverse lineup of speakers spanning gaming, film, music, fashion, XR, technology, art, and even space—each offering real-world insight into creative and technical careers. The message echoed across every stage: if you love games, fashion, architecture, film, or code, the “metaverse” isn’t just hype. It’s a growing jobs ecosystem that will need designers, developers, writers, producers, animators, engineers, and community builders who understand both culture and technology.
By the end of the day, AccessCon had delivered far more than prizes or photo ops.
It gave students permission to see “nerd” as a compliment, not an insult.
It gave them a playbook for building careers without waiting for someone else to validate their dreams.
It showed them that community and collaboration can turn curiosity into opportunity.
And most importantly, it proved that there are adults who genuinely care whether they win—and are willing to walk beside them as they figure out how.
Through its ambassadors, advisors, and leadership, Games For Love demonstrated how play can become purpose—and how access, when paired with care, mentorship, and consistency, has the power to change the entire trajectory of a young person’s life.
The Elevator Ride Down
At 6pm, Shio waited for the elevator alone. He had a business card in his pocket from a game developer who told him to email anytime. He had a photo with a celebrity. He had a notebook full of website addresses, scholarship applications, and names of programs that could help him.
He had something he didn’t have when he woke up that morning. A door.
The elevator opened. He stepped in. The numbers started to drop. He didn’t press his back against the wall this time. He stood at the front and watched the floors count down, thinking about helicopters, and buildings, and dreams being worth pursuing. When the doors opened in the lobby, he walked out into Los Angeles.
Same city. Same traffic. Same hot dog cart on the corner.
Different kid.
Access Con is going to New York in 2026, and Games For Love will be there.
Join the Mission
At Games For Love, we believe every child deserves a chance to laugh, play, and heal—even in the toughest moments. When you give, you’re not just funding technology or video games—you’re giving kids a lifeline of hope, joy, and connection.
✨ You can be the reason a child smiles today.
