On a warm February day in Austin, more than 100 UNT students, alumni and friends turned the halls of the Texas State Capitol Mean Green and advocated for continued support of the university.

A relatively new tradition, UNT Day at the Capitol was created by the UNT Alumni Association during the 2019 legislative session and continued in 2021 with a letter-writing campaign. In 2023, the association returned to the Capitol with groups organized to visit every legislator to ask for support of UNT's legislative appropriations requests.

Requests included support for the Center for Integrated Intelligent Mobility Systems, along with flagship equity that would allow UNT to support high-impact programs, services and research best suited to meet the needs of students, Texas employers and the state's evolving economy.

Senior design management major Madalyn Hernandez spoke highly of the experience.

"It was such an amazing opportunity to advocate for UNT alongside fellow students and alumni," Hernandez says. "I had a great time and got to meet so many people."

The day, which also saw performances from UNT's Two O'Clock Lab Band and Mariachi Aguilas, was inspiring for alumni, including Sarah Wagner ('89), chair of the UNT Alumni Association Board of Directors.

"I'm so impressed by our students," Wagner says. "They were articulate, confident and knowledgeable. Our legislators heard firsthand the impact UNT has on our Texas economies and communities through heartfelt stories and experiences."