Monday, December 15, 2025
DENTON (UNT), Texas — The University of North Texas (UNT) is proud to partner with nationally recognized nonprofit Braven to create new learning opportunities that equip students with career-ready skills, networks, confidence and workplace experiences to succeed in an increasingly competitive, global marketplace.
The partnership, which is Braven’s first in Texas, marks UNT’s expanding commitment to student success and career readiness as another way to better serve its students. Ranked 34th for social mobility in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, UNT will launch the initiative by offering the Braven Career Accelerator course to transfer students starting in Spring 2026, eventually growing to serve a target population of 4,000 students within the first five years after the initial launch.
“More than 40 percent of our students are the first in their families to attend college, and they bring amazing talent, resilience and grit,” said UNT President Harrison Keller, Ph.D. “We’re excited to offer our students this opportunity. Braven’s model for helping first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds prepare for strong first jobs is an ideal complement to our broad commitment to prepare our students to transition confidently into their careers after graduation."
The UNT Braven Career Accelerator course launches Spring 2026
To date, Braven has served more than 14,000 students nationwide and has a proven record with 61% of its 2024 graduates securing strong, first full-time jobs or acceptance to graduate school within the first six months of graduation — 18 percentage points higher than graduates with a bachelor’s degree from peer institutions with a similar concentration of Pell Grant recipients. Additional data shows that 92% of Braven Fellows graduate on time (compared to 70% of peers) and about 70% complete at least one internship in college (versus 48% of 2022 national grads).
“We’re excited to partner with the University of North Texas to bring Braven’s proven career accelerator to campus,” said Aimée Eubanks Davis, Braven’s Founder and CEO. “Under President Keller’s leadership, UNT continues to demonstrate what it means to be a forward-thinking public university that delivers on its promise to students. His deep leadership experience in policy, higher education systems, and cross-sector collaboration alongside the school’s incredible faculty and team makes UNT ideally prepared to help its students succeed. By launching this program, UNT is adding a powerful complement to its academic and career offerings — it’s investing in a high-impact experience with real return: stronger career pathways, connections to local and national employers, and a clear, supported path to earning a credential of value.”
UNT’s Braven experience for students this spring will feature a 3-credit course that will blend weekly online modules with in-person learning labs. These labs are led by working professional who volunteer as leadership coaches, who mentor small student teams through real-world assignments that develop essential career competencies: career navigation, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, organization and leadership.
Students who complete the course, then known as Braven Fellows, continue to receive access to career coaching, mentorship, internship and job opportunities, and alumni networking events.
“Our partnership with Braven will give more students access to experiences that ignite confidence, open doors, and shape bright futures,” said Lisa McIntyre, UNT’s vice provost for Student Success. “Working with the Braven team, who share our commitment to purposeful partnerships, highlights the power of collaboration to transform student journeys and help graduates leave ready to make their mark.”
The initiative also creates new opportunities for UNT’s extensive alumni base and employer network to support current students. With more than 324,000 UNT alumni living and working in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the program deepens UNT’s ability to connect students to career pathways, mentorship and community-based leadership roles across the region.
“Mentorship changes the trajectory of our students’ lives. At UNT, many of our students are the first in their families to pursue college, and having a mentor means having someone who can help navigate uncharted territory, open doors to careers and expand their sense of what’s possible,” said Brandon Buzbee, UNT’s vice president for University Advancement. “What makes UNT special is the community that surrounds our students — mentors, faculty, alumni and peers who ensure no one takes that journey alone.
“That support is how UNT shapes future leaders for North Texas and the communities they call home.”
From UNT News – General News