More than 40 Sullivan West students helped turn the games loved by alumnus Scott Pisall into a colorful memorial that will remain at the high school.

Students, family members and friends gathered Wednesday afternoon for the unveiling of five murals created in Pisall’s memory and displayed in the school’s Esports room.

Pisall, a Sullivan West graduate and Marine veteran, died in 2024.

His family approached the school about finding a way to honor him and his love of gaming, according to Sullivan West art teacher Jena Love.

The project began nearly two years ago, starting with a Super Mario-themed mural before renovations to the library temporarily interrupted the work. Students resumed painting last fall.

The family provided a list of Pisall’s favorite games, while students contributed games that were popular with them.

“We asked the students what games they like to play,” Love said. “We came up with these hybrid designs that had lots of different references together.”

Love estimated that 11 games are represented throughout the five murals, including Mario, Fortnite, Sonic the Hedgehog, Minecraft and Animal Crossing.

More than 40 students contributed during the course of the year.

Some worked on the murals for only a day after finishing other class assignments. Others spent weeks or months on individual sections.

Senior Chloe Weston spent roughly three months working on a Halo character.

“It gave me a little bit of motivation to come to school because I was having a rough time,” Weston said. “Knowing I’m being able to help out makes me happy.”

Weston said she hoped people would appreciate how much work students put into the project.

“It’s not easy to complete all this,” she said.

Senior Aaron Adams Thomas helped with painting and spent roughly 15 hours applying lettering to a memorial panel incorporating elements inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

The details were personal.

Alec Dragos, one of Pisall’s closest friends, helped develop the character statistics and equipment shown on the panel.

He met Pisall in 2017 while the two worked together as bellhops at Villa Roma.

“We were as thick as thieves,” Dragos said.

The pair turned their work into friendly competition over who could work harder, then became close friends outside the job and frequently played Dungeons & Dragons together.

Pisall’s family described him as constantly active and interested in many different things. He studied forensic science at the College of Saint Rose and loved biology and history while attending Sullivan West.

He joined the Marines after graduating and was later medically honorably discharged.

His mother, Julie Pisall, said he was known for his work ethic, sometimes logging tens of thousands of steps in a day through his various jobs.

Scott’s father, Bob Pisall, and his sister Emily were among the family members who attended Wednesday’s unveiling.

The family has also worked to preserve the memory of Scott’s sister Rebecca, who was killed years earlier. Family members said scholarships have been established in memory of both siblings, along with a memorial blood drive.

Love said students who initially knew little about Pisall gradually learned why the project mattered as they worked.

“They would ask what this was for, and I would tell them the story,” she said. “That made it connect with them.”

For Love, the finished murals represent more than an art assignment.

“Everyone worked really hard, and I’m really proud of what they did,” she said, “and that it was for something that means something.”