Wednesday, May 21, 2025
In Professor and G. Brint Ryan Chair in Entrepreneurship Jeremy Short's Social Entrepreneurship course at the University of North Texas, students don't just learn about social impact—they make it.

This semester, senior Erin McSweeny, a student in the Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies (IADS) program, raised over $1,000 via GoFundMe to support Genesis Women's Shelter, a Dallas-based nonprofit that serves women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

Erin McSweeny and her partner, John Campbell, preparing class clay at their community studio in Garland, Texas.
Erin McSweeny and her partner, John Campbell, preparing class clay at their community studio in Garland, Texas.

Erin's road to UNT is anything but conventional. After beginning college in 2008 at Northern Arizona University, she left due to financial hardship and later spent over a decade working in the hospitality industry. When the pandemic disrupted that career path, she pivoted—first through a ceramics apprenticeship in 2021, and then to full-time study in the arts. Now 35, Erin is a non-traditional, transfer, and commuter student who balances her coursework with caregiving for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer's. Despite the challenges, she's earned spots on both the President's and Dean's Lists and is on track to graduate in Spring 2026.
 
"Building and participating in a fundraising campaign that raised over $1,000 for Genesis Women's Shelter was an incredible learning experience," Erin said. "I gained firsthand knowledge that I get to now carry forward into my career as a leader in my own community."

The campaign was part of Dr. Short's hands-on curriculum that challenges students to design and launch real fundraising initiatives for nonprofit causes. "Dr. Short's Social Entrepreneurship class has been crucial to my work both as a professional artist and as an owner of a community ceramics studio," Erin said. "It gave me the concrete skills and confidence I need to launch my own campaigns, seek grants, and advocate for my work—and more importantly, for the needs of my community."

IADS Senior Erin McSweeny stands next to a laser-cut paper sculpture from her Digital Methods class in the sculpture critique space at UNT.
IADS Senior Erin McSweeny stands next to a laser-cut paper sculpture from her Digital Methods class in the sculpture critique space at UNT.

But Erin's success isn't confined to one course. Her IADS degree combines coursework from both the College of Visual Arts and Design and the G. Brint Ryan College of Business, allowing her to blend artistic training with business savvy. She also added a minor in sculpture to maximize her time in UNT's world-class studios.


"In my studio classes, I'm learning how to articulate not only what I make, but why I make it, and how it fits into a broader artistic and cultural context," she said. "At the same time, the business and entrepreneurship courses have given me the practical foundation to take a brain full of ideas and turn them into action."

Courses in business ethics, organizational psychology, and entrepreneurship have equipped Erin with tools for both personal and community transformation. "UNT has helped me move from being unsure of my capability to someone with real self-confidence," she said. "I now see that I not only have a seat at the table—I have the power to bring others up with me."

For Erin, enrolling at UNT has been nothing short of life-changing. "Every time I walk onto campus, I'm filled with awe and gratitude. After two years back in school, I still can't quite believe I get to be here. The chance to finish my education is the opportunity of a lifetime."

Through it all, she's focused on a bigger mission: building inclusive creative spaces and serving others through art. "The best part about learning to thrive in my own life," Erin said, "is that I now have more than enough to share."