THE SALT
Scholarships put 22 on Ph.D. pathAuthor(s): Shinika A. Sykes The Sarah Jackson has always wanted to go to graduate school.
Now the The program is geared to broaden the pool of potential college and university professors, especially among low-income and first-generation students. These groups continue to be underrepresented in doctoral studies programs and, by extension, on university faculties, according to officials at the U.S. Department of Education. Jackson, a Mario Castillo, a sociology and philosophy major at "I don't know if I necessarily see myself being a professor, although I will certainly keep an open mind," Castillo said. What motivates him at this point is finding ways to help bring about an end to poverty. Krystle Cook, another McNair scholar, is excited about the coming summer workshops in which students and their mentors participate in a rigorous round of graduate school preparation and research training. She is one of three Caucasian participants in the program. "I got in because I am poor," said Cook, a
junior majoring in education at McNair
Scholars have been around since 1988, yet this is a first for "[This] is critical to expanding the pool of women and minorities and those who have traditionally not been in doctoral programs," said Kathy Felker, director of Upward Bound, an educational support program at the U. Felker said the U. applied "two or three times"
to the Department of Education to bring McNair to "The [application process] is extremely competitive.
There's a perception of what the state looks like -- that there are no
minorities in Curry, with assistance from U., SLCC and Faculty members at the three schools have signed on to act as mentors. They will assess the students' needs, prepare goals and provide monthly progress reports. Curry also sought support from the state's Department of Community and Economic Development, as well as input from minorities and civic organizations. "This inaugural group of scholars consists of high academic achievers who truly exemplify excellence and diversity," Curry said. The program targets students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have strong academic potential, Curry said. The students are paired with faculty and research mentors who will work closely with the participants through their undergraduate years, their entrance into graduate programs and track their progress to successful completion of advanced degrees, she said. "This is not a scholarship or money-giving effort; students are given the assistance they need to become the next generation of university professors," Curry said. 22 Utahns named McNair scholars Kon Akoy Solomon Awan Hassan Hassan Paul Muskin Priscilla Cabral Summer Christiansen James Garang Moana Hansen Sara Hogan Sarah Jackson James Moreno Aliesha Shaw Stacy VanWinkle Mario Castillo Krystle Cook Anya Gurholt Reece Peck Daniel Perez Thomas Pham Laura Richey Carla Valencia Tamara Villa McNair Scholars Program The McNair Scholars Program in * Faculty and research mentoring. * Seminars, scholarly workshops to prepare students for doctoral training. * Tutoring and academic counseling. * Assistance in obtaining financial aid. * Assistance in securing admission for enrollment in graduate programs. The program is named in honor of astronaut Ronald McNair, who died with six other crew members in the 1986 explosion aboard the space shuttle Challenger. He was the second African American to fly in space. Although McNair grew up in poverty and faced numerous obstacles, he went on to earn a doctorate in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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