As the Program Manager for the Emerging Mavericks Program, I want you to know that you belong here at The University of Texas at Arlington, and we are deeply committed to your success on the path to graduation. Our program is specifically designed to support students with lived experience in foster care or homelessness by providing personalized guidance, a wide range of resources, and a strong, caring community. College is a journey, and you won’t walk it alone—we’re here to support you every step of the way, helping you overcome challenges and celebrate every achievement. Because you’re an Emerging Maverick, success isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable.
Sincerely,
Harold Bryant
Emerging Mavericks Program Manager
The Emerging Mavericks program is structured around three focused groups.
Our program aids these students as they transition out of foster care and navigate their subsequent life stages:
Our program aims to recruit approximately 15 to 25 students for each grade level to participate in a 1–2-week residential summer camp for each grade level with a maximum of 5 weeks of residential programming. As students’ progress successfully within our program, they will be invited to return annually for continued service and support until they complete high school. While our objective is to increase student participation throughout the academic year, we anticipate that some students may drop off, so we will continue to recruit to maintain the program's minimum participant levels.
Our programming focuses on building knowledge and awareness of support services and academic resources that students should utilize during each stage of their high school years. Our goal is to ensure that as students advance each year, they become increasingly aware of the importance of academic success and the availability of support services offered to foster care or McKinney-Vento youth. We will connect them with college preparatory or job-ready training provided by state or local agencies that support their growth and development. Throughout the academic year, these students will be encouraged to apply the knowledge and resources gained during the summer to enhance their academic year successes.
The essential needs of transfer students revolve around academic progression, financial assistance, work opportunities, and housing. Our programming supports partner school students by designing focused academic and financial navigation programs that simplify and clarify their needs. Acting as the key liaison for two- and four-year partners, our program manager understands the essential processes of transferring into UTA and knows how and where to access internal resources to ensure a smooth transition for student success. Before students transfer and receive departmental advisement, we position ourselves as a "Foster First Stop" for general information on admissions, advising, and degree planning.
Our program establishes strong alliances with university departments to promptly address the needs of our target students and continues to build strong connections to financial, counseling and career trainings to expand our team’s knowledge and understanding. This support structure helps maintain a continuous pipeline of future students from two or four-year schools to UTA and provides a direct line of communication to partner advisors and advocates with a long term mindset of connecting to Emerging Mavericks as the first stop to all student concerns.
Our university cohort is dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of first-time college students to ensure their success. Our campus-based program prioritizes specialized wrap-around services, backed by various university departments. These services are tailored to address both immediate and long-term student needs at UT Arlington.
Through a relationship-centered, trauma-informed approach and a deep understanding of learning development tiers, we strive to offer enhanced support services. Our goal is to deliver comprehensive assistance across all facets of the student journey, encompassing academic support, financial aid, mental health services, and access to resources for housing and basic needs.