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We never know where life may lead. Just ask . 

“I never considered graduate school,” said the first-generation college graduate. “To be honest, if you had told me about a master’s degree my freshman year, I wouldn’t have even known what it was.”

Thanks to UNLV’s Grad Rebel Advantage program, offered by the Graduate College, Bournazian not only learned all about graduate education, she ended up at an Ivy League school. She's now working on a master’s degree in human development and higher education at Harvard University.

“If it weren’t for the Grad Rebel Advantage program, I wouldn’t have known where to start with things like applying for financial aid or writing a personal statement,” Bournazian said. "Being able to sit down with a mentor and peers, it’s a great opportunity to ask questions that you might think are dumb — like what even is a personal statement. The experience was so important to me." 

Workshops and Mentorship for Future Grad Students

The yearlong Grad Rebel Advantage program prepares annual cohorts of UNLV undergraduate students for graduate school at UNLV or elsewhere. The program offers mentorship, workshops, and professional development opportunities with perks that include a completion scholarship, honor cord, T-shirt, and more.  

“One of the things I got out of the program was hearing from my cohort members about where they were applying to graduate school and realizing how many programs were out there. The idea that I could do something different from journalism while still utilizing my journalism degree was something I learned,” said Bournazian, who earned her journalism and media studies bachelor’s degree with a minor in human services at UNLV in 2022. 

As a recent graduate with a newly minted master’s degree, Bournazian plans to work for two or three years in higher education, specifically in academic success or early outreach for first-generation students, before she enters a doctoral program. 

She’s come a long way and overcome many obstacles to get to where she is. In 2018, Bournazian relocated from Northern California, where she lived with her single mother, to attend UNLV.

“I fell in love with the Urban Affairs college,” she said. “UNLV was the perfect place to grow and thrive while getting an education.”

While things were progressing positively on the education front, things took a turn in Bournazian’s personal life.

“During my freshman year, my mom’s cancer came back, so I was going back and forth as a caregiver. I didn’t think about grad school; I just wanted to finish undergrad in four years. I was a sophomore in 2020, so I got to spend time with my mom while taking remote classes. That summer, my mom passed away, and I had to figure out what I was going to do. What was my future going to look like? What was my dream outside of my family? 

“That’s when I discovered Grad Rebel Advantage. I knew there was a mentor piece, and that was appealing to me to be able to have someone to ask questions and get one-on-one guidance from,” she said. 

Preparing for the Application Process

In addition to mentorship and the opportunity to progress through the program with like-minded cohort members, the program offers workshops on topics like graduate school interviews, how to ask for letters of recommendation, and time management strategies. 

For those considering applying to the Grad Rebel Advantage program, Bournazian has nothing but encouraging words to share. 

“Definitely apply. There’s something to gain from every experience. Even in the end if you decide you don’t want to apply to graduate school, you’ll use all the skills you learn at UNLV and beyond,” she said.