The 15th annual class of inductees into the Full Sail University Hall of Fame were celebrated with a ceremony that took place on Thursday, March 13 in the Full Sail Live venue.

The ceremony capped off a week of on-campus events that kicked off on Sunday with “Hall of Game: Homecoming” in the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress. Hall of Game found students and grads cheering on as Armada varsity teams competed against returning alumni in thrilling matches of esports favorites Apex Legends, Halo, and League of Legends.

On Monday, students and grads were able to attend a Career Fair where they could meet and network with employers, as well as a Tech Expo featuring product demos and hands-on workshops from companies such as SSL, Canon, Sony, Dolby, and more.

Beginning on Tuesday, students had the opportunity to participate in more than 150 educational panels, presentations, and workshops. These sessions featured industry professionals from across the entertainment media and emerging technologies industries, with past and present Hall of Fame inductees sharing their knowledge with students throughout the week.

The week wasn’t all business though; starting Monday afternoon, the outdoor Creative Experience allowed students to have fun with arts and crafts, t-shirt giveaways, live karaoke, a paint-by-numbers mural, and more. Student clubs also set up booths and an outdoor stage featured student performances throughout the week.

Hall of Fame Week culminated on Thursday, with the Induction Ceremony. During the ceremony, Full Sail President Garry Jones welcomed six new grads into the Hall of Fame in front of a dramatic stage set that combined stunning motion graphics and warm, organic materials. After being individually inducted by a peer, Aaron B. Koontz (Writer, Producer, Director, CEO & Founder | Paper Street Pictures), Alejandro García-Tuñón (Senior Director | Head of Co-Development at Side [formerly PTW]), Jason Citron (Co-Founder & CEO | Discord), Jonathan Mayer (CEO/Music Director | Spider Farm Productions), Katrina Mena Rick (Senior Creative Producer | Disney Live Entertainment, Visual Media Production), and Martina Bozic (Vice President, Football Partnerships North America | SPORTFIVE) each received the opportunity to share speeches as they accepted their awards, accompanied by heartfelt video messages from family, friends, and colleagues.

The ceremony also highlighted the recipients of this year’s Full Sail University Industry Icon Award. Since 2016, this award has honored organizations and individuals that have redefined entertainment, media, and the arts.

This year’s first Industry Icon honoree was Jay Noble, Full Sail’s Vice President of Alumni Relations. Jay was recognized for giving a wealth of heart and dedication to the students, staff, and graduates of Full Sail University. For almost 40 years, Jay has been giving back to Full Sail by building opportunities for graduates, from nurturing the alumni community to helping to create employment opportunities by spearheading our career fairs and alumni events. Jay's career is defined by his devotion to our alumni community, so it was only fitting that the Industry Icon Award was presented to him by members of the Full Sail University Hall of Fame.

The Full Sail University Industry Icon Award was also presented to Linda McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Ms. McMahon is the former Chief Executive Officer of WWE, and the current United States Secretary of Education, and Mr. Levesque is the Chief Content Officer of WWE. Both of these individuals were recognized for their leadership, innovation, and contributions in sports entertainment. Since 2011, Full Sail has hosted over 400 WWE NXT broadcasts, giving students hands-on experience alongside WWE’s world-class production teams. More than 1,700 students have served in roles behind the scenes, and over 90 graduates have turned that experience into careers at WWE. Through this partnership the WWE has awarded over $400,000 in scholarships to Full Sail students.

After the ceremony ended, students capped off the week with a lively block party outside the Orlando Health Fortress, featuring food, music, and giveaways.