Resiliency and Dad's Advice Paid Off For This Digital Media Graduate

“Once you start something, you can’t give up.” That advice from Aakira Blackmon’s father helped her power through UNT Dallas over the past four years. “Now it’s in my brain, in my psyche,” Blackmon said.

The graduating senior, who will earn her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Digital Media this month, has a creative flair. From fashion to photography, Blackmon has made her mark through passion and personal expression. Passion for wanting to “see it all” from behind the camera lens. Personal expression by standing out from the crowd with a style all her own.

Blackmon not only thanks her father for his motivation, but she is also grateful for the university’s robust resources for first-generation college students, dedicated hands-on faculty, and encouragement from campus leaders. “It was like having a second mom,” Blackmon said of her mentor, Yolanda Franklin, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “She pushed me to do more. Yolanda kept me on track. She would ask ‘Did you procrastinate this week?’”

By trying “a little bit of everything,” Blackmon narrowed her career interests to photography and marketing. While taking a storytelling course, she was hooked. “Wow, this is amazing. I want to do this all the time,” she recalled thinking to herself at the time.

But it wasn’t easy. “College is hard,” Blackmon said. That’s why she believes her greatest strength is “resiliency.” After her family moved from Red Bird, very close to the campus, to Plano and then Celina, at least an hour away, Blackmon endured two hours or more on the road each day commuting back and forth from home to campus. And when her senior Capstone project required her to interview strangers at a shopping mall, “I was so nervous, I was out of my comfort zone,” she said.

Another valuable learning experience for Blackmon was a summer internship at Accenture, part of her exposure to a buttoned-up corporate environment through the esteemed Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program. “It was a vibrant place to work, not like walking into a cubicle,” Blackmon said. “I learned the reality of working at corporate.”

Blackmon is grateful for the UNT Dallas Office of Career Services, which counsels students on professional pathways, resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and job interview preparation. “It’s very useful,” she said. “They visit your classes, too. They remind you that you’re prepping for something after this.”

VIDEO: Watch Aakira Blackmon’s Testimonial Video About the Trailblazer Elite Program

Another way Blackmon prepped for her future is by serving as president of Trailblazer Elite (TBE), an organization of first-generation students. The program helps students navigate UNT Dallas – from admission to graduation. Blackmon became a member, an advocate and, as a senior, its leader. “It’s challenging to lead different people with different communication styles,” she said. “Sometimes in meetings I would be the only one talking. I felt like I was talking to a wall but didn’t let that discourage me.” If anything, it was encouragement to persevere, build her leadership and communication skills, and set an example for others.

Blackmon’s classes presented other challenges and opportunities to grow. She credits her professors, including Dr. Sara Holmes, Dr. Gary Holmes, Senior Lecturer Richard Strong, and Adjunct Professor Jennifer Sanmiguel. “She really cares about students,” Blackmon said about Dr. Sara Holmes. “You can talk any time of day, and she’ll help in any way.” She describes Strong as “chill” and his classes as “not stressful.” Of Sanmiguel, Blackmon said, “She’s alumni. I felt like that could be me. I can also be successful as a UNT Dallas alum.”

One of Blackmon’s great successes was planning and executing an event called “Blossom Bash” in the spring of 2024. It was a carnival for TBE students and others. “It was stressful to pull it together,” she said. “We had a team of about 10 and we had to split tasks.” Her hard work paid off when more than 100 people showed up.  “It was insane,” Blackmon remembered with a sense of accomplishment and pride.

It was just one of countless campus activities Blackmon has attended or helped plan over the past four years. She’s everywhere on campus. Everywhere all at once. From classes to extracurriculars to student worker roles. Asked what has been most impactful during her UNT Dallas journey, Blackmon said, “The collection of experiences. Now I feel ahead in my career as a professional.”

So ahead that Blackmon already has plans for her own photography business, “Kira Kandid.” Her portfolio is full of photographs she has snapped at campus events and “friends who let me take their pictures.” It connects to her Capstone project for which she “needed to create my brand.”

Blackmon’s 3.6 GPA proves her commitment to succeed. It’s also a reminder of another expectation from her dad. “You need to bring home As,” he said. In Blackmon’s case, A is not only a letter or a grade, but it's a symbol of Achievement.