Nonprofit Connecting First-Generation College Students to Strong First Jobs Expands to HBCUs in the Carolinas

Written by Analisa Sorrells Archer, originally published on EdNC.org on March 3, 2026.

As college students prepare to graduate, they face the pivotal but often daunting task of securing their first job and unlocking long-term economic mobility.

Yet the economic benefits of earning a four-year degree are not distributed equally. According to an analysis from the Pew Research Center, first-generation college students, on average, earn lower incomes and have less wealth than their peers with college-educated parents — making the transition from college to career even more crucial for first-generation students.

Enter Basta, a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 that aims to “close the employment gap for first-generation students” by providing them with a variety of customized career navigation resources and connecting them to strong first jobs. 

Now, through a $1.2 million investment from The Leon Levine Foundation, Basta is expanding its model to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across North and South Carolina.

According to a press release, The Leon Levine Foundation — which now has $2 billion in assets — has made “career-connected learning a regional priority” and is committed to investments focused on pathways that connect young people to economic opportunities. In January, the foundation announced the “Carolina Career-Connected Learning Challenge,” which will offer up to $2.5 million in funding for models that bridge gaps between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce.

Sheila Sarem, founder and CEO of Basta, said the organization has focused on a single question since it began: “If we believe that first-gen college students have everything it takes to succeed in the world of work, then how do we sort of create that connective tissue between those young people and those great first jobs?”

Basta is closing the employment gap for first-generation students, enabling them to secure great jobs, launch careers, and change the face of leadership in the workforce.

Contact us to learn more about Basta and our partnerships.