How are people landing these internships? These opportunities? Why do I always feel like I’m behind?” This was my thought process during my first two years of college. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something important. It seemed like my peers had a leg up that I didn’t have. Little did I know that, as a first generation student, there were hidden barriers in the system. My parents, like many others, saw higher education as a path to a better life. They believed it would lead me out of hardship and into a future they dreamed of for me. But as I made my way through City College, I realized it was not that simple. I was not aware of the skills needed to stand out in today’s job market like networking, resume building, and personal branding. Just passing my classes wasn’t enough. I needed to develop specific skills and gain real world experiences. How could I build my skills without first hand experience? How could I get that experience if most career opportunities required prior skills? It felt like a never ending cycle of frustration and demotivation.

Then I stumbled on an email promoting the Braven Accelerator course. Braven is a nonprofit founded by Aimée Eubanks Davis that helps first generation students and students of color from low income backgrounds. Through partnerships with institutions like City College, Braven offers the Accelerator course which combines networking, mentorship, and hands on experience to make career goals reachable. Braven also partners with companies like Deloitte and Montefiore to support professional growth beyond the classroom.

On my first day, I realized just how different the course was from my other classes. The program structure allowed us to learn directly from professionals in roles we aspire to achieve. The class was divided into groups of about six students. Each group was assigned a leadership coach a volunteer dedicated to helping students develop professionally.

I also met Kiara Williams, the founding program manager of Braven at CCNY. She was our course instructor setting the tone for our classes with her high energy and commitment to inspire.

Braven was beneficial not only to the students but also to those involved in the development of the Accelerator course. Kiara Williams pointed out that even the learning assistants on her team found value in the process: “They’re looking at these LinkedIn checklists, they’re looking at these resume templates, and they’re reflecting on their professional portfolios.”

Finishing the Braven Accelerator course made these once intimidating obstacles feel manageable. I finally know what a strong resume looked like. For example, before this course, job interviews felt like a space where I would be judged for who I am. Now I feel that the purpose of job interviews is to hold a two way conversation where both individuals can see if they are a good fit.

One thing I felt was lacking in this program was the ability to interact with the other students and leadership coaches. During the program, students generally remained within their assigned group with their leadership coaches. But I would have loved to meet other leadership coaches in different fields. This sentiment was shared by both Kiara Williams and Seth Ohemeng Appiah. Williams elaborated: “One thing I would’ve loved to see is more opportunities for fellows (students enrolled in the course) and LCs (Leadership Coaches)…to mix and mingle.”

At the end of the program, there is an option to continue with Braven for an extra semester through one on one mentorship. This part of the program is self directed and not part of the course curriculum. It requires extra responsibility and a lot of self teaching. Through this program, I met Olivia Wilkey, who taught me one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn: handling rejection while still believing in myself. Another area for growth is expanding learning beyond the Accelerator course. Appiah suggested:

One last thing I’d like readers to keep in mind: success in Braven depends on your commitment. It is not just about grades; it is about investing in yourself. You will receive resources and professional development opportunities, like the Braven Capstone Project. But it’s up to you to make the most of it.