When Ivy Knight sat down at last fall’s UNT Alumni Scholarship Recipient Dinner, she was not expecting an alumnus to teach her how to set up a LinkedIn profile — but that’s just the sort of thing that happens when you are part of the UNT Alumni Scholarship Program.

The program’s primary purpose is to award scholarship money to deserving students, but the people behind it are also on a mission to provide extended resources that help students develop valuable skills.

“We’re working hard to grow this program and are not satisfied with traditional, transactional scholarships,” says Emily Klement (’92, ’94 M.Ed., ’12 Ed.D.), chair of the UNT Alumni Association Board of Directors. “We want to make our recipients feel like they have won the jackpot as we set them up for success.”

The youngest of five children, Knight is grateful to the donors who helped make her UNT education — something this daughter of a UNT alumna started dreaming about in middle school — a possibility. Beyond that, she appreciates the program’s emphasis on guiding recipients through the college experience.

“I’ve been given so many chances to grow and learn,” Knight says. “And now I have a whole network of UNT alumni who are willing to mentor me and will be eager to help me find career opportunities once I graduate.”

Recipients of the program’s eight — soon to be eleven — scholarships attend networking events and make connections with alumni who share their interests. And as long as students remain eligible, they can continue receiving the scholarship year after year until they graduate.

That recipients discover the importance of philanthropy is a nice bonus.

“We want our scholarship students to understand that there’s a lot more to giving than just dollars,” says David Wolf, vice president for University Advancement. “And we hope donors see that, in this program, a little goes a long way in helping our students find lifelong success.”

The UNT Alumni Association Scholarship Program is steadily expanding thanks to endowments from chapters, individuals and partners like Jostens. As the scholarship program continues to grow, donors will be able to choose more targeted areas to support, connect with recipients and see first-hand the difference they’re making.

“Receiving this scholarship has given me a deeper sense of pride and belonging at UNT, because I see how much former students have been impacted by the school — how much they love it and how they’re still involved,” scholarship recipient Ivy Knight says. “It makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger.”

An investment in UNT students is an investment in the future of the UNT Alumni Association. Visit the website to give today.