If HBCU Homecoming season continues, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) continues to equip young people with the tools, networks and opportunities they need to thrive. For HBCU students, that primarily means programs designed to prepare them for the competitive world of professional development, and Arnica Frazier-Jackson tells BOSSIP all about it.
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The Director of Student Professional Development Programs at UNCF leads the Panda Cares Scholars Program, a dynamic suite of initiatives that provides students with hands-on experience and career-ready skills. Under her guidance, the program connects HBCU students with corporate giants, helping them transition confidently from classroom to boardroom.
“It's about giving our students a seat at the table. They're not just shadows. They're producing, creating, and showing the next generation how to do it,” the proud FAMU Rattler told BOSSIP.
Now in its 13th year, the partnership offers scholarships, mentorship and internships to HBCU students interested in careers in entertainment, media and content creation. Jackson played a key role in developing the program's curriculum and helping Disney and other partners understand the needs and aspirations of students.
Through these internships, students gain exposure to a wide range of business roles, from HR and marketing to law and journalism, and even content creation. Jackson emphasizes that interns are expected to produce, not just observe, cultivating a mindset of responsibility and influence. The program has since expanded to include initiatives with FX, Andscape, and National Geographic, and offers opportunities in sports journalism, directing, producing, and factual storytelling.
“The Walt Disney Company is such a great partner because they understand how to provide access and opportunity,” Jackson told BOSSIP. “In the beginning, the program was really created to help reduce financial barriers for students attending HBCUs.”
As conversations with students evolved, so did the program.
“We started hearing that students really wanted to get their foot in the door or at least have some kind of involvement with leaders within the company,” she said. “So they started an internship program. And now we're in that cohort; and I fit in because we actually worked to develop the program as it is now. I was on that team to cultivate the partnership, build the curriculum and help the partners understand what the needs and aspirations of the students are.”
What began as business-focused internships in departments such as HR, PR, marketing, talent acquisition, and law soon expanded into content creation and journalism.
And once HBCU students came through the door, Jackson says, they made it count.
“Our students got in there and showed up and showed,” she said. “They weren't just shadowing a director or a team, they were working on projects and coming out with some phenomenal things.”
That excellence led to even more opportunities. “Because of the work that students did, we were able to open partnerships like ESPN's Rhoden Fellows program,” Jackson said. “That's for students who are interested in sports journalism and telling stories through the lens of the HBCU experience.”
The collaboration with FX is another highlight, building on the legacy of the late John Singleton.
“That program was created to show students what it means to be a screenwriter, how to develop as a producer, and what a director actually does,” she says. “Students get a mentor with FX, and now the selected students will be able to go to LA in 2026 to the FX sound stage and shadow someone who works there. They even build the program based on what the students' interests are – which I think is phenomenal.”
National Geographic has also participated, giving students the opportunity to become “factual storytellers”; creators who use real-world narratives to showcase their talents.
“To be able to go from one internship within the business unit to expanding to an entire suite of programs really speaks to the partner's understanding,” Jackson told BOSSIP, “and their commitment to providing access and opportunity to students attending HBCUs.”
According to Jackson, students who want to apply should embrace their authentic selves and use their unique strengths. She believes that GPA is not the only measure of readiness, and that professionalism, initiative and results-oriented thinking are often more important in landing opportunities. By coaching students on networking, building a strong resume and quantifying their achievements, she ensures they are fully prepared to excel in the competitive workforce.
Her approach mirrors the lessons she learned at FAMU.
“While it's yes, about being able to have the education, and I feel like you get the best education at our HBCUs because the expectations are so high, but it's also being able to help them with those soft skills that are needed to excel and excel in the workforce,” Jackson said. “Because their competition is no longer their peers. Their competition is people who have been in the industry for 20 or 30 years. And so we want to make sure that we always provide them with something that will get them to the end of the race over and over again.”
UNCF's vision is clear: prepare the next generation of HBCU leaders not just for jobs, but for meaningful careers, and with the Disney UCNF Scholars Program, fostering networks, providing mentorship, and offering real-world experiences, they are opening doors that lead from the highest of seven hills to the heights of professional success.
How to apply
The Disney UNCF Scholars Program is open to underrepresented rising college juniors, preferably enrolled full-time at an HBCU, across broad fields of study such as film, television, hospitality management, journalism, media production and digital media. Applications are open until October 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Interested students can apply at uncf.org and find additional information on Instagram at @uncfspdp and LinkedIn at UNCF Student Professional Development Programs.
