Full Sail Stories

A lot happens on Full Sail University’s campus, and the summer of 2025 was no exception. Student events were plentiful – with holiday celebrations, block parties, a film festival, music workshops, career fairs, and more, students had a variety of ways to explore their interests and connect with each other. Here are a few highlights from this summer’s events.

Celebrations

Celebratory events included the Juneteenth Freedom Fest led by the Black Student Union to commemorate the June 19 holiday. Honoring Black history and culture, the vibrant event featured live music, barbecue, trivia, dancing, networking, and a panel discussion led by Black educators and creatives. Just a couple of weeks later, the Veterans Association’s work-study students headed up an Independence Day Block Party which allowed students to connect and involved a dunk tank, a blood drive, games, a DJ, hot dogs, and snacks from Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.

Throughout the summer, prospective students and their families got a chance to experience Full Sail’s campus atmosphere at the Summer Nights Creative Experience. Featuring music, food, creative energy, and community, Summer Nights offered a fun precursor to the university’s monthly Behind the Scenes tour. While attendees learned about degree programs and campus facilities, they were also immersed in the energetic culture of Full Sail and what it’s like to be a student.

To wrap up the summer, Full Sail’s Student Community Association hosted a Campus Life Block Party. With booths and food trucks set up around the patio behind Building 3F, students could play games, join clubs, grab a soft pretzel or lemonade, and learn about community resources like the Orange County Library System.

International Events

To highlight the many different backgrounds of the Full Sail student community, the International Student Society (ISS) hosted several events this summer. The ISS Global Music Celebration brought students together to celebrate unity and diversity by learning dances from around the world like K-Pop choreography and Cuban-style salsa. Additional events included the Asian & Polynesian Night Market, which featured games, crafts, and snacks from across Asia, as well as dance performances from Polynesian, Indian, and Filipino artists; and the Japanese Summer Festival, Natsu Matsuri, which included origami, calligraphy, Japanese video games and table top games, and a traditional Japanese dance performance.

Events for Film Buffs

Full Sail also had events catered toward film fans and movie makers. The second annual Veteran Student Union Film Festival had student filmmakers screen their original short films in front of a live audience, complete with popcorn and red carpet interviews. At another event, Hall of Fame inductee and Film grad Aaron B. Koontz shared the pilot episode of his Peacock horror series, Revival, and hosted a Q&A for students. Attendees got a sneak peek at the new series and picked Aaron’s brain on what the creative experience was like.

Music Events

Full Sail also hosted a number of events for music-focused students this summer. For example, J-Pop star Crystal Kay unofficially kicked off her US tour at the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress with a performance for students and local fans. Students also got to hear original music at a Listening Session for 3300+ Climbing, the university’s student-run artist development initiative, and choose talent for the initiative’s next round.

Music students had multiple opportunities to dive deeper into their craft via workshops on an array of topics. Music Production faculty and two grads – Ivana Loyola (Music Production) and Tyonne Heyward (Recording Arts) – led Mastering the Voice, the first workshop of the Industry in Sight series. It focused on arrangement, performance skills, and vocal production. At the Audio Production Town Hall and Immersive Audio Talk events, Full Sail faculty shared best practices for the LaunchKey keyboard, as well as expert tips on creating immersive sound for music, games, and film and television.

Events for Gamers

Game students had their fun at the Unreal Fest Game Jam in collaboration with Epic Games, where grads and current students of game degree programs competed in a three-day event along with students from other Florida universities. Teams of four built original games using Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and judges awarded winners with passes to attend Unreal Fest Orlando 2025 to show off their games at the festival’s Student Showcase.

Entertainment Business Events

For entertainment business-minded students, Full Sail hosted several events over the summer, like a student-led production workshop called Building With Intention: How We Produced Five Music Videos and a Trailer in Three Days. There, Film grad Sofia Adamary and Media Communications student Gabriella “GABA” Pedraza spoke to attendees about how they started their own production company, Intentional Productions, and the ins and outs of producing their first full-scale project with Latin artist Jorge Franco.

Two other informative sessions were Industry Talk With Marketing and Media Professional Sara Ataie (Founder of FUUD Agency, Digital Media grad, and Entertainment Business student) and Entertainment Industry Discussion: Denesha Valentine (TV Producer for AFRO TV and Music Business grad). Students got to hear valuable advice from industry experts in media marketing and television.

Student Resource Events

This summer, students also got the chance to look ahead to their futures and set themselves up for success. At the Student Resource Fair, new students could connect with many different Full Sail resources like tutoring, academic advising, technical support, financial aid, and more to start their academic journeys with confidence. At the Career Fair, soon-to-be grads and alumni spoke with a plethora of potential employers, such as Orlando City Soccer and Walt Disney World, to get interview practice and explore job opportunities.