As the ESPN broadcast counted down the waning minutes before kickoff of last week鈥檚 College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between Ohio State and Texas, a keen eye could spot in the sea of Buckeye scarlet and gray.

All one had to do was look for the best camera angle and, inevitably, the Elon graduate would be there.

As part of his role as assistant director of creative media for Ohio State Football, Fortunato 鈥� in a light blue media vest 鈥� stood arm鈥檚 length away from Buckeye starting quarterback Will Howard, chronicling every pass and every word of encouragement during the pregame warmup.

While AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, pulsed with anticipation of the evening鈥檚 matchup, Fortunato was already hard at work compiling content for his聽 鈥� a recap that garnered 42,000 views during its first day on YouTube.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of time and effort to get these recaps done quickly, and to a high standard, but seeing the reactions to it once it鈥檚 posted makes it worth it,鈥� he said.

Fortunato will have one more stab at creating a game highlight video this season as Ohio State faces Notre Dame in Monday鈥檚 College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Interestingly, Rachel Mikolay 鈥�23, another Elon graduate, will also work the season鈥檚 final game.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to be going to the national championship,鈥� Fortunato said this week. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that I don鈥檛 take lightly and will be an experience I talk about and remember for the rest of my career.鈥�

It isn鈥檛 surprising to see the recent Elon graduate on the biggest stage in college sports.

Since cutting his teeth recording 福利亚洲国产精品 athletic events and producing 鈥淓lon Sports Weekly鈥� episodes, Fortunato has steadily risen through the college media industry. After earning his degree in cinema and television arts, Fortunato honed his skills with Rutgers University鈥檚 women鈥檚 basketball team and then Wake Forest University men鈥檚 basketball program. An individual didn鈥檛 have to be a college basketball fan to see Fortunato鈥檚 immense talent in video and digital content creation.

Since he joined Ohio State鈥檚 football program in May 2023, Fortunato鈥檚 work has garnered significant attention as he created compelling visual narratives for one of the most recognizable brands in college athletics.

In his role, Fortunato is responsible for creating internal motivational videos for position groups, producing social content like “” and “” videos, and filming practices and meetings for archival purposes.

On game day, the Apex, North Carolina, native coordinates filming operations, ensuring coverage from every crucial angle on and off the field. These shots include pregame scenics and locker room speeches, as well as on-field action and post-game celebrations. As the game heads into the second half, where can you find Fortunato? Usually within earshot of head coach Ryan Day.

Once a game is over, Fortunato鈥檚 main focus is completing the aforementioned game recaps. Ideally, he wants the videos published in the next two or three days. It is no easy task considering the amount of quality work his creative media colleagues help produce.

Fortunato said he takes great pride in creating content that resonates with fans and endures beyond the season.

鈥淚 do my best to treat every game the same and to focus on doing my absolute best to capture each moment through my lens, and the national championship game will be no different,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hrough working in social media, I believed I could have the opportunity to facilitate those kinds of meaningful moments,鈥� Lewis said.

Today, the Elon alumnus serves as a social media specialist for Jeni鈥檚 Splendid Ice Creams, an ice cream company founded by Jeni Britton Bauer in 2002 in Columbus, Ohio. In his role, Lewis plans, develops and analyzes storytelling content across all Jeni鈥檚 Splendid Ice Creams social channels. Lewis’ content has garnered praise since his arrival in January 2019, including being named this fall.

Winning the award confirmed everything he knew about the Jeni鈥檚 team, Lewis said.

鈥淚 work with a group of magicians,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a tight-knit, scrappy team and all do a lot 鈥� but we care deeply about people and I’m glad that comes through in the work we do.鈥�

During his time at Elon, Lewis worked on research as part of the Honors Fellows program, which taught him about discipline, attention to detail, and how to use social media effectively. These characteristics are what Sara Jerde, Adweek鈥檚 publishing editor, wrote about when it came to Lewis鈥� efforts with Jeni鈥檚.

鈥淚n nearly two years, Lewis has helped grow a vibrant team as Jeni鈥檚 social media specialist, keeping the ice cream company鈥檚 social feeds full of wit and storytelling (including an appealing photo essay explaining the origin of its Pluto Bleu flavor) to keep fans active and engaged,鈥� Jerde said. 鈥淎ll the while, he鈥檚 maintained a distinct personality online befitting the Columbus, Ohio-based brand.鈥�

As part of Jeni鈥檚 marketing team, Lewis works closely with the art and design staff. He also oversees the brand鈥檚 celebrity and influencer outreach and community management, such as responding to comments and direct messages.

鈥淲e truly love people and want them to feel loved through the content we share and the connections we make online,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淚 believe people feel that wherever they interact with us and, hopefully, it鈥檚 helping us to become irreplaceable in their lives and in the lives of others.鈥�

This is not the first time Lewis has been applauded on a national level. In 2016, his Car Window Poetry initiative was featured on “NBC Nightly News.”

Alumni of all generations are encouraged to attend as we kick off a new year of chapter events. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join. Free food and Elon gear will be available at all events. This is an opportunity to connect with other local Elon graduates and hear from chapter leaders about what is in store for the upcoming year.

Learn more and register for your chapter’s event by clicking the name of your city below: 
 

Alumni chapters in Alamance County, the Triad (Greensboro), Richmond, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. hosted events in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@elon.edu or (336) 278-7500.

The Columbus, OH Alumni Chapter will host an #ElonDay Party as part of this global celebration. 

Columbus Alumni Chapter #ElonDay Party
Tuesday, March 7, 5:30 p.m.
The Wine Bistro
1750 W. Lane Ave., Ste. 100
Upper Arlington, Ohio 43221

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit . 

The Columbus Alumni Club will host an #ElonDay Party as part of this banner day for Elon. 

Columbus Alumni Club #ElonDay Party
Tuesday, March 8, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Eddie George’s Grille 27
1636 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Please contact Joe Ward, coordinator of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7424 or jward18@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit . 

FREE to the first 15 registrants, $13 per person afterward

Our event will take place at Matt the Miller’s Tavern from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25. Plan to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with alumni in the area. Light refreshments will be served and a cash bar will be available. Whether you are looking for a new opportunity or looking to enhance your current business there will be something for you at our event! RSVP online or by calling 877.784.3566.

is located at 1400 Grandview Avenue in Columbus.