Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges

ALUMNI NEWS

of attendance from the students. No at- tendance is taken. Students hear about AFGM via word of mouth, social media campaigns, or university resources such as the UNT Multicultural Center or UNT Career Center.

far, all combined internship salaries total over $275,000. UNT President Dr. Neal Smatresk’s five-year plan for the university includes restructuring the UNT Career Center, which Brothers Dunlap and Guil- lory have significant influence in Dr. Smatresk’s plan. AFGM is the chosen organization to spearhead the marketing and rebranding of the career center to meet the needs of minority students. Dunlap on AFGM’s impact, “AFGM is changing people's generational trajec- tory. We have young men who someone has prayed for and found their way to college not knowing why they are there or the outlook of their life. We have stories of kids who have parents that were both in jail, some whose father grew up around the corner and never knew them, and others who were aban- doned but they all have siblings that look up to them or follow them. When they get an internship and career at companies like Oracle, IBM, Microsoft Ernst Young...this allows them the ability to learn, grow and give back to their family help their siblings achieve more...therefore changing the course of their respective families.”

gram's immediate goal is to contribute by helping to prepare young African- American students to compete and obtain great internship opportunities that led to great job offers and careers post-graduation. Other goals include encouraging AFGM graduates to return to the program and providing their career perspectives to current AFGM students. In addition to encouraging recent program graduates to continue partici- pating and leading the program, another AFGM goal is to increase the partner- ship between the AFGM and the UNT Career Center. This goal includes improved awareness campaigns of the services and benefits of AFGM and the career center. Other program goals are for AFGM inclusion in freshman and transfer student orientation and retain- ing the program's visibility with UNT leadership. For more information on A Few Good Men, please email afgm123@gmail or access: https://afgmtx.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FGMo- fUNT/ @FGM_UNT on Twitter

AFGM and UNT AFGM initially experienced dif-

ficulty earning official school recogni- tion during its first couple of years. UNT community had a dozen different organizations and programs targeted to minority students; therefore, AGFM had the challenge of differentiating the program and its mission. Currently, AFGM is under the school's Division of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Department of Insti- tutional Equity and Diversity. The UNT Multicultural Center's budget includes providing rental space and meals for AFGM. UNT Career Center has partnered with AFGM in some initiatives.

AFGM and Kappa Alpha Psi AFGM is not a Kappa Alpha Psi

program; however, the AGFM program leaders, nearly all Kappa men, have frequently utilized fraternal networks to invite Dallas-Ft. Worth area Kappa men to participate as a contributor or guest lecturer. Over the years, mem- bers of nearby alumni chapters, the Denton-Lewisville (TX) Alumni and the Richardson-Plano (TX) Alumni have participated in AFGM sessions and shared their professional experience, industry, and business perspectives, and career advice to AFGM attendees. When the undergraduate chapter, Zeta Upsilon, was active, several chap- ter members were AFGM participants and leveraged their experience to obtain summer internships and postgraduate job opportunities.

Future of

AFGM

Due to the

COVID-19 restrictions, the program's attendance has decreased

slightly. The first in-person session since the pandemic out- break occurred

in November 2020. Thus,

one immediate goal is to rein- state AFGM's marketing and awareness initia- tives to boost attendance. The pro-

AFGM Impact Since its establishment, AFGM

has assisted 15 men and 5 females in obtaining corporate internships at firms such as Ernest & Young, ® , Oracle, IBM ® , and Enterprise Rentals ® . Thus

26 | SPRING 2022 ♦ THE JOURNAL

PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT IN EVERY FIELD OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR

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