UMSV and Braven Partner to Prepare Students for Career Success
1/26/2026
New Career Readiness Course to Launch this Fall
The University of Mount Saint Vincent is proud to announce a new partnership with Braven, a national nonprofit empowering students to succeed after graduation.
Launching in Fall 2026, the collaboration will provide UMSV students with Braven’s Career and Leadership Accelerator, a 3-credit course that equips students—known as Fellows—with the skills, networks, experiences, and confidence necessary to launch a strong career.
“At the University of Mount Saint Vincent, our mission is to make an exceptional education accessible to all who seek it—we open doors of opportunity so that every student, regardless of background, is challenged, supported, and prepared to succeed,” said Mount President Susan R. Burns, PhD. “Our partnership with Braven amplifies that mission, giving students the tools, mentorship, and confidence to succeed beyond college. Together, we are strengthening the pathways that ensure our students are prepared to lead with purpose and service in an ever-changing world.”
UMSV is a national leader in making higher education affordable and accessible for students from all backgrounds. Nearly half of all Mount students are the first in their families to attend college, and half receive Pell Grants, which go to students with exceptional financial need. UMSV was also ranked #4 nationally for economic diversity by The New York Times—a testament to our success in ensuring that cost is never a barrier to opportunity.
The Braven experience begins with an undergraduate course. Each week, students complete online modules through Braven’s platform and then put what they’ve learned into practice in small-group Learning Labs. These labs bring together five to 10 peers and are led by a trained volunteer professional known as a Leadership Coach. Throughout the course, Fellows complete assignments that build six key career competencies: career navigation, communication, teamwork, problem solving, organization, and leadership.
Fellows don’t just complete a course—they join a lasting community. After the Accelerator, they continue to grow through Braven’s post-course experience, gaining access to mentorship, career coaching, professional communities, curated internship and job opportunities, and events that expand their networks and strengthen their skills.
In the 2026-2027 academic year, about 275 UMSV students are expected to take the course, joining a growing network of over 14,000 Braven alumni nationwide. Braven is building a growing regional network that equips students to succeed in careers and graduate programs.
“Over the past six years, Braven has been honored to partner with New York institutions to help thousands of promising students launch strong careers,” shared Braven New York Founding Executive Director Kilsys Payamps-Rour. “With the University of Mount Saint Vincent, we are building on that foundation and strengthening New York City’s workforce with talented leaders who are ready to make an impact.”
Braven Founder and CEO Aimée Eubanks Davis added:
“This new partnership with the University of Mount Saint Vincent reflects Braven’s mission to ensure more students graduate with the skills, confidence, networks, and experience to thrive. Mount students are ambitious and driven, and with this collaboration, they will join a national community of Fellows who are leading in their careers and lives of purpose.”
Nationwide, Braven is showing promising results. Braven Fellows have outpaced the national average for strong job attainment before and amid the pandemic. Within six months of graduation, 61% of Braven’s 2024 graduates secured quality full-time jobs worthy of their bachelor’s degree, and or enrolled in graduate school (21 percentage points higher than their peers nationally). In addition, Braven Fellows have achieved a 93% on-time graduation rate. By comparison, about 8 in 10 of their peers nationally graduate from college on time. Furthermore, 70% of Braven college graduates have at least one internship during college, compared with 48% of all college graduates and 41% of students from similar backgrounds.
We can’t wait to see how our UMSV students launch their careers!
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.
About Braven
Founded in 2013, Braven empowers promising college students with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks necessary to transition from college to a strong first job. Braven is embedded within lower-resourced colleges and universities and partners with employers to build cutting-edge career education into the undergraduate experience. To date, Braven has served more than 14,000 Fellows nationwide across six sites, and Fellows are persisting in college and achieving exciting levels of internships and jobs.