In the 20 years since UCF launched the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), the acclaimed graduate video game design program has produced more than 1,000 alums prepared to make their mark on the $450 billion industry.
FIEA has helped alums land careers are more than 400 companies, including big names like EA Sports, Nintendo, 2K and Roblox. And now with the rising demand for immersive learning and gamified training in other “more serious” fields, FIEA graduates are answering the call there, too.
Three alums, each with a unique story of why they chose this side of “serious gaming,” where winning truly is the only option.
Brenda Raza ’97 ’19MS
From Magazine Fashion to Military Function
Before Brenda Raza ’97 ’19MS became a leading 3D artist at Carley Corporation creating interactive training simulations for soldiers, her classmates in FIEA only knew the LinkedIn version of her: A UCF BFA graduate from 20 years earlier who once lived in New York designing fashion catalogs and magazines.
When that career didn’t fulfill her the way she thought it would, she dared to consider starting over on another path.
During her undergraduate days, she wouldn’t have considered herself a gamer, though she did dabble in Mortal Kombat on occasion. Few people knew that during her first time through UCF, Raza had joined the U.S. Army Reserve.
Two decades later, the feeling of contributing to something meaningful was still in her DNA and would ultimately guide her to her job today.
“When my professors found out I’d been an Army Reservist, they encouraged me to dig further into that side of 3-D modeling and simulation.” — Brenda Raza ’97 ’19MS
In FIEA, the mother of two found a connection between her calling (military support) and her talent (creative design).
“When my professors found out I’d been an Army Reservist, they encouraged me to dig further into that side of 3-D modeling and simulation,” she says. “They taught me principles that I’m using in my work — for example, to simulate maintenance on helicopters and ships.”
The simulations Raza helps create replaces traditional manuals held together by three-ring binders that the Army uses for training.
“It’s rewarding to know that what I’m doing can help a soldier,” she says. “It took a while to get here, but I’ve definitely found my niche.”
Katie (Wollam) Ferguson ’08 ’09MS
From PlayStation to National Defense
The U.S. Department of Defense has come around to see the formidable value of college graduates who know their way around PlayStation, XBox and Steam consoles. The attraction is mutual for FIEA graduates like Katie (Wollam) Ferguson ’08 ‘09MS.
As a project engineering associate manager at Lockheed Martin, her team creates interactive applications intuitive enough for indulging — and that’s exactly why they’re so effective in familiarizing military personnel with aircraft and missile systems, or when they need to understand the environment of a ship before actually boarding it.
“If there’s a failure code, they need to be able to locate the component quickly and replace it, anywhere in the world,” Ferguson says. “That’s why the software has to be as realistic as possible.”
Ferguson’s father worked in the simulation industry while she grew up in Central Florida, the nation’s top modeling, simulation and training region. When UCF launched FIEA during her freshman year, she saw an opportunity to apply her growing interest to a growing need.
“The professors come from the gaming industry, so they’re able to show students how to work in teams and deliver usable products within tight deadlines,” she says.
During her FIEA training, Ferguson’s initial idea of working at an animation studio shifted to the idea of working on serious gaming applications. “
It’s motivating to know our training tools can positively affect our military personnel and help achieve the ultimate goal: to keep them safe and ensure they come home.”
Mike Harris ’23 ’24MS
From Active Duty to a Sense of Duty
When Raza and Ferguson mention military personnel as the focus of their work, fellow UCF alum Mike Harris ’23 ’24MS is the kind of person they’re talking about.
Harris, who is a designer at BreakAway Games, served in the U.S. Marines before enrolling at UCF. The company is one of the largest developers of serious games, having developed several high-profile serious games for the U.S. military and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“What I’m doing as a designer falls in line with the ethos of the Marine Corps. ‘Never quit. Our mission is bigger than ourselves,’ ” he says. ““[My BreakAway colleagues] are pioneers, coming from places like AOL and EA to be part of serious game development. The fact they want to create training software for medical, military and first responders … it says a lot about their character.”
During his first year at FIEA, instructor Erik Sand asked him to judge the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge because who better to determine simulation accuracy than someone who has actually served in the military field?
During the event, Harris met a BreakAway Games executive. She saw in Harris an optimum package of integrity and FIEA training.
“I’m working on a team to develop software to improve the real-world operation tempo for the military.” — Mike Harris ’23 ’24MS
“I’ve found something special again,” Harris says. “I’m working on a team to develop software to improve the real-world operation tempo for the military.”
He can’t say more about the specifics, but he does make this perfectly clear: “It’s important to be my best for the betterment of the world. I was blessed to serve my country, and now I’m blessed to use my work as an asset for the well-being of others who are serving.”
