Friday, May 22, 2026
An on-campus job is a great way to balance work with academics. It’s also a launchpad to help ambitious students turn classroom learning into internships and real-world careers.

For University of North Texas students, an on-campus job is a great way to balance work with academics. It’s also a launchpad to help ambitious students turn classroom learning into internships and real-world careers.

From design shops to marketing offices, student employees at UNT are proving that when opportunity meets effort, momentum follows.

A photo of Anne, communications design major and marketing assistant student employee.
Anne's experience as a student employee helped secure an internship with D Magazine Partners.

Anne C., a communications design major, is a marketing assistant with the Division of Student Affairs. She spends her workdays designing everything from social media graphics and video assets to T-shirts, lawn signs and print campaigns. With more than 160 programs under the division’s umbrella, no two projects are the same, and that variety has been key.

"We’re designing for a wide scope of students," Anne says. "We have to be intentional and cognizant of who the content is being marketed to, and how we can best cater to that student." 

The experience has paid off. This summer, she’s interning with D Magazine Partners as an art and production intern for People Newspapers, working on multiple publications like Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People, while also designing digital ads, newsletters and social media content. During her interview, she said her on-campus job stood out.

"My student employment was a topic of interest during my interview, with it being a more real-world opportunity," she says. "I touched on how there is a multitude of duties I have as a marketing assistant, and how the multiple projects I have assisted with have shaped my workflow and response during the design process."

Across campus at Design Works, student employee Maegan V. shares a similar story.  As a shop assistant, she works hands-on with professional printing equipment, manages customer orders and ensures quality control on projects that are never quite the same. What started as an on-campus job quickly became career clarity.

A photo of Maegan who is a student employee at Design Works. Maegan has an internship with Hatch Show Print.
Maegan, a student employee at Design Works, heads to Nashville this summer for an internship with Hatch Show Print.

"I assumed going into this job, I would be doing a lot of printing and production for the shop, but I quickly learned there’s a lot more to being a shop assistant. There’s a lot of machinery I didn’t know how to use, or even knew existed," she says. "Daily, I practice my customer service, teamwork and quality control skills, which I continually develop and aim to improve upon."

This summer, Maegan is interning with Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America. The internship blends her passions for graphic design, typography and printmaking.

"I’m currently majoring in communication design with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in printmaking. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after graduation. My internship last summer and my job this year have opened my eyes to how much I enjoy working in a print shop. Finding an internship that combines my passion for design and printmaking is exciting. I’ll have the opportunity to learn how to letterpress print posters, while interacting with customers to come up with designs that fit their needs," she explains. 

For both students, UNT’s student employment program offers flexibility and credibility. Their roles allows them to balance academics with professional responsibilities, build portfolios with real deliverables, and walk into interviews prepared.

"I had a phone interview over spring break, and most of it was me talking about the pieces in my portfolio," Maegan says. "Toward the end of the phone call, the interviewer went over the position responsibilities, and a lot of it was what I do now at Design Works. I made sure to mention that I was familiar with the same skills and practiced them constantly at work."

Anne adds, "Having tangible experience that pertains to the career you want to pursue sets you apart from your peers in any interview."

Together, their stories highlight a growing truth at UNT. Students here are willing to put in the work. They’re ambitious, adaptable and ready. And when given the opportunity, they’re unstoppable.

"Students should look into what some roles on campus can provide them to grow their skills while they are still in undergrad. It is always valuable to build your skillset while you have the opportunity to, and college is one of those perfect periods where you can focus on your own knowledge to strengthen yourself and your path to success," Anne says.