Every Rebel can remember navigating campus for the first time, having their student I.D. freshly printed, and exploring the endless opportunities in their future careers. Well, young students in Southern Nevada are doing just that with unique events and programs hosted right here on campus.

UNLV’s annual Take Your Child to Work Day event will take place on April 24. The day-long event invites UNLV employees to bring their children to campus to participate in a variety of activities that showcase the diverse academic opportunities offered at the university. Averaging 200 children in previous years, the event provides inspiration for young students to explore and pursue their future careers at UNLV.

Dozens of campus organizations join in every year to make this event possible, including the RebelCard office. Employees can have their children stop by their office in the Student Union during the event to get their future RebelCard and a glimpse into the Rebel life.

Opportunities like these have been available to young students in Southern Nevada for years with the help of Shellie Brattain-Mazzella, senior software developer, and data delivery and integrations supervisor for UNLV’s Information Technology team.

Brattain-Mazzella has not only improved technology services at UNLV for over 20 years but has also worked to support women and their families throughout her journey. As co-chair of the Family Advocacy Committee on the Women’s Council, she has expanded participation for the Take Your Child to Work Day event by encouraging more organizations to join in on the tradition.

Opportunities for future Rebels don’t just last one day, but instead are consistently available through the UNLV Early Outreach unit. UNLV Early Outreach initiatives, such as the Young Rebels program, provide young students in Clark County the opportunity to discover dozens of academic disciplines offered at UNLV through unique educational and social enrichment opportunities. UNLV Young Rebels was introduced at the university in 2022 and has continued to support students entering college after high school.

“Our commitment is to increase college and career readiness programming that not only helps students understand the options that exist beyond high school, but gives students the opportunity to physically be on a college campus and picture themselves as a future Rebel,” says Director for Early Outreach Devan Harris. “It is our goal to make opportunities like this a reality for students in our community all year round.”

Through her involvement with the Women’s Council, Brattain-Mazzella has also supported the launch of the Young Rebels Programs and provided countless resources for young students and employees at the university.

After 10 years of being in the Women’s Council’s steering committee, eight of them as co-chair of the Family Advocacy Committee, she is stepping down from her position.

“Serving as co-chair has been a truly rewarding experience, and I’ve been so inspired by the work we’ve done together to support families on campus,” Brattain-Mazzella said. “This is a great opportunity to help guide our efforts, work closely with the Women’s Council Steering Committee, and make a meaningful impact.”

For anyone interested in stepping into this role, please contact Shellie for any questions, insights, or support.