Mayborn Joins NBCU Academy

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The Mayborn School of Journalism is honored to join 16 other major national journalism schools as part of NBCUniversal News Group's NBCU Academy. The NBCU Academy is a multi-year partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and colleges with significant Black, Indigenous and People of Color populations and signals Comcast and NBCU News Group's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Meet our NBCU Academy Scholars

The grant allows for the awarding of life-changing scholarships to diverse Mayborn students who want to pursue a career in broadcasting. Here is the Mayborn's inaugural class of NBCU Scholars:

	Tiffany Baker	Hi, my name is Tiffany Shanee' and I am a senior at UNT majoring in broadcast journalism. I've been in Dallas for almost ten years as I'm originally from Kansas City, Missouri. I am a first-generation graduate and a non-traditional student. I am a mother to a 12-year-old daughter named Ra'Mya who keeps me pushing forward and up to date on all the latest TikTok trends. Over the Summer I studied abroad in London for a five-week program and had the opportunity to interview locals about the monarchy. I've grown so much since being a part of the Mean Green team. I've connected with organizations such as NABJ & NAHJ and have recently earned an internship with Gray Media group KXII Fox 12 this Fall. I plan to graduate and one day become my own talk show host and have my very own platform as I Interview individuals and tell their stories.
	Rhema Bell	I am a digital and print journalism senior minoring in sociology. I was raised in East Texas but I moved to DFW for college in 2019. I spent one year at UTA before choosing to study journalism at UNT. I transferred to UNT in fall 2020 and I've been working at the on campus paper, the North Texas Daily, since then. I currently serve as editor-in-chief and I am searching for my first post-grad job. I am an award-winning copy editor and I have completed internships at Fort Worth Magazine and Central Track. Transferring to UNT and beginning my path in journalism literally changed my life. I've met mentors and friends, and I gained invaluable professional experience. Not to mention, I love living in the colorful city of Denton. My career goal is to encourage other budding professionals and foster inclusive work environments where everyone feels empowered to grow. When I'm not writing or editing, you can find me reading, playing video games, listening to music or hanging with my cat Stormy.
	Leslie Fuentes	Leslie Fuentes is a senior at the University of North Texas who studies Digital and Print Journalism and Integrative Studies with concentrations in Sociology, Creative Writing and Media Arts. She has also completed a minor area of study in Spanish. She has worked as an editorial assistant for D Magazine and has contributed to an investigative research project on immigrant sanctuary cities in the U.S. for a university abroad. Leslie is currently working as a Content Coordinator for Flower Mound Lakeside Magazine. She recently studied abroad in London in a faculty led program and will be studying abroad in Scotland as an exchange student in the spring semester of 2023. Upon graduation, Leslie would love to report on social and cultural issues or work as a columnist. She strives to one day become a foreign correspondent.
	Jesus Gomez	My name is Jesus Gomez, aspiring journalist, and automotive technician. I spent the last decade after high school working to support myself, and my younger brother, and halfway through the decade decided to go back to school to pursue a career in media. I was first drawn to broadcasting as an option, but as I continued my education through Dallas Community College and The University of North Texas, I felt more comfortable with writing. The journey to my senior year has been great and would not trade a single day of working in warehouse jobs and having to balance time and budget for school and life, because it has helped me to become a responsible young adult. However, being awarded the NBCU Academy scholarship to finish my final year of journalism is a big deal. I hope to find an internship, finish school, and start a meaningful career in journalism.
	Desiree Gutierrez	Desiree Gutierrez is a Dallas-based journalist and senior at UNT's Mayborn School of Journalism. As a print and digital media concentration, Gutierrez aims to uplift marginalized voices. Through her work at the Dallas Observer, Central Track and D Magazine, Gutierrez has elevated Dallas' community advocacy, art, culture and music. She aims to continue to build upon that platform to facilitate conversations that will impact the communities she serves. Gutierrez plans to attend graduate school in pursuit of sociology and expand upon her journalistic knowledge.
	Alfredo Padron	Hello! My name is Alfredo Padron, and I am a Junior at UNT. I'm a Journalism major with a concertation in broadcast and Digital Journalism with a minor in marketing. I chose UNT precisely because of its well-known journalism program, the Mayborn School of Journalism. Mayborn is an excellent program for involving its students in hands-on experience and providing a chance to further their carrier in journalism. UNT is near DFW, which is top five in the mass media and communication markets in the United States. I chose Journalism because I look forward to reporting and becoming a trustworthy ally to the sports fans/audience. I look forward to broadcasting with my concertation and to the future to be a voice for the game of football and basketball, either professional or at the collegiate level, and the chance to talk about the game for a sports media company.
	Caitlyn Perrin	While most kids are born screaming, Caitlyn Camille Perrin came out of the womb "performing" as the daughter of respected Dallas based theatrical acting coaches and renowned casting directors. This young talent grew up' modeling and acting as well as singing country-gospel alongside her younger sister. At age 3, Perrin had a lead in her father's indie horror film, The Dead Don't Scream and she also appeared in the film Just Believe. She also plays the role of Daisy in the faith based short film she wrote entitled All That Matters. A total talent, Perrin performed in a production of The Nutcracker at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall at age 8. Other professional experience includes appearing in commercials for Build-A-Bear-Workshop, DART, Charter Telephone, Toys-R-Us and HEB. As if stage and screen were not enough, intelligence is in abundance, evident by the fact that Perrin by age 14 started college and maintains straight A's. She is majoring in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Sociology and is considering a master's degree. In addition, she shows talent and much interest in novel and comic illustration. When she has time to breathe, Perrin often strums on her guitar and writes songs! Caitlyn Camille Perrin is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the National Society of Leadership and Success, has maintained a place on the UNT President's List three times in a row, and is a recipient of the UNT Transfer Excellence scholarship and the Jack B. Tinsley Fort Worth Star-Telegram Scholarship. She is currently an NBCUniversal Scholar!
	April Pierdant	My name is April Pierdant. I was born and raised in the good ole' state of Texas in the city of Plano. I lived in a loving and supporting household raised by my mother and stepfather who are both from small villages in Mexico. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to go to college and get a degree in something I am deeply passionate about. As a first-generation Hispanic student studying broadcast journalism, my goal is to work for a television news station as a multimedia journalist (MMJ). I see myself conducting interviews, doing research, and traveling to scenes of news events to write concise reports before broadcasting a story over the airwaves. I'm currently involved in a student-run TV station as a reporter for English and Spanish news, as well as the Vice-President for National Association of Hispanic Journalists. As a Hispanic journalist myself, diversity means everything to me. Diversity is vital in journalism. Without the inclusion or involvement of people from different social and ethnic backgrounds, gender, sexual orientations, and race, we fail to authentically represent many communities, especially the most vulnerable ones. I love seeing how NBC LX is diversifying news coverage every day. They are making a difference in the viewers' lives by the variance in content they produce. They are definitely sowing seeds in the next generation when it comes to the way news coverage is delivered. In terms of my goals and values, I see myself working in an environment like NBC LX after I graduate. I want my career to be wholesomely connected to people, allowing me to make an impact in their lives through the art of journalism. With an interest in journalism and television production, Brandi hopes to one day to own a business in which she can create and market entertaining content.
	Lesly Juarez Romero	My name is Lesly Juárez Romero, I will be graduating in Spring 2023 from The University of North Texas with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Business Integrated Studies with Accounting and Real Estate. I aspire to become a Multimedia Journalist and a Real Estate Agent. Serving my community by sharing their stories and helping others find their dream homes is something that motivates me every day to complete my degrees. Thanks to the NBCU I am one step closer from my dream.
	Azul Sordo	Azul Sordo is an undergraduate journalism student at the University of North Texas, where she also works with Hatch Visuals, a nonprofit, student-led photography agency. She is currently working at The Texas Tribune as a photo fellow, connecting people to policy. Previously, Azul worked as a photojournalism intern for KERA, where she collaborated with reporters to create visually engaging stories. Azul is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, and enjoys covering topics related to immigration.
	Kelly Tran	I am a digital and print journalism senior with a social science minor and digital media studies certificate here at UNT. My hometown is Austin, Texas, but I have loved getting to know the North Texas area after moving here to attend UNT. My work as a journalist has especially helped me do this. During my sophomore year, I started my journey at the North Texas Daily, the campus newspaper, as a volunteer arts and life writer. Since this was during the COVID-19 quarantine phase, I had to reach out and conduct interviews virtually, but I still was able to make connections and learn about what the Denton and UNT communities had to offer. During the 2022 summer, I was a copy editor intern at the Denton Record-Chronicle and an editorial intern at Southlake Style Magazine, which exposed me to more of the happenings in the DFW area. Throughout the rest of my academic career, I have continued my work at the Daily, becoming the copy editor and designer for the news section my junior year to now news section editor. In my career, I strive to promote diversity in newsrooms and media coverage, especially as a person of color. Even in my personal life, I have involved myself in various cultural student organizations, such as the Vietnamese Student Association and the Asian Student Association.
	Andrea Valdez	I am a senior Broadcast Journalism major with a minor in Spanish through the Mayborn School of Journalism. I am the first and only person in my family to study journalism, which gives me an opportunity to tell the stories of my community through a different lens. Upon graduation, I plan to be a Multimedia Journalist for a local television station in the East Texas area. On top of classes, I am also the president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Assistant News Director for the Emmy-winning student media station, North Texas Television.