Opening door and reaching dreams

Christina Roberts' parents never went to college. After graduating from Seattle's Nathan Hale High School, Roberts, a senior English and CHID major, was given the chance through the UW's Upward Bound scholarship program.

A member of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes, Roberts drew inspiration in her English studies from American Indian writers such as Sherman Alexie and N. Scott Momadia.

"One of my dreams was to study with professor Momadia at the University of Arizona," Roberts said. "I wanted to focus on American Indian literature, but applying to grad school was intimidating. I knew there was not much funding available for English majors, and I did not have support from my background for further studies."

Last year, Roberts learned about a new program from that would help her overcome the obstacles blocking her path to graduate studies.

In 1999, the UW was one of 156 schools nationwide to be awarded funding from the Ronald E. McNair Achievement Program. Designed to help underprivileged and minority students prepare for doctoral research, the federally funded McNair program provides an annual grant of $190,000 to the UW's Office of Minority Affairs (OMA).

With help from the McNair program, Roberts was able to receive preparation for the Graduate Recorde Exam (GRE), mentoring from professors on preparing for a career in academics, and a chance to perform research in Rome, Italy.

After a year and a half of intense preparation, Roberts was recently offered full funding by the University of Arizona to pursue a Ph.D. in English.

"I just returned from a trip to Arizona, where Susan Aikins, director of graduate admissions, told me how I would be a welcome member to the community. The McNair program was amazing in opening possibilities for me," said Roberts.

The McNair program began in 1989, when Congress authorized a federal program to help students who would traditionally be unable to afford postgraduate studies. The program was named in honor of Ronald E. McNair, America's second African American astronaut, who was killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster. McNair came from an impoverished South Carolina background and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in physics from MIT.

According to professor Gabriel Gallardo, director of the McNair program at the OMA, the UW faced fierce competition to receive the federal funding.

"The government uses three standards to measure the program. First, each participant must graduate with satisfactory grades. Second, the students must be accepted into a master's program. The final goal is for the student to graduate with a doctorate, so it can take from five to seven years to see the final success." said Gallardo.

Eligible students include low-income students whose parents never attended college, and members of ethnic groups that are underrepresented in graduate education, specifically African Americans, Americans Indians and Latinos.

McNair scholars receive mentoring from faculty members on conducting research and writing a statement of purpose for future studies. Throughout the year, the McNair program holds career counseling workshops, including a month-long intensive course to prepare for the GRE. However, the counselors feel their greatest accomplishment goes far beyond academics.

Jennifer Harris, an adviser for the McNair program who is pursuing a doctoral degree in education leadership, stressed the importance of helping a student believe that grad school is a possibility.

"A lot of students don't get enough guidance. Their self-confidence can be severely lacking. We are here to treat each student as an individual with special goals and dreams."

Sometimes, financial obligations can be overwhelming. Part of the McNair program allows for a $2,800 stipend for students to pursue individual research during the summer rather than pursue outside work. Advisers also help participants to apply for financial aid and housing assistance.

"Our office acts as an advocate and link to other programs around campus," said Gallardo. "Lower-income students may feel they don't have access to the programs they need."

The first group of McNair scholars will graduate this spring. These 20 students have made impressive contributions to fields including biochemistry, neurobiology, sociology and mathematics. Their research projects will soon be jointly published in a journal by the OMA. A Web site will also be established so that after graduation they can keep in touch with future scholars.

"We have been truly lucky to have a great cohort of students," Gallardo said. "They have been a great asset and are our best recruiters. We ask them to talk to other students and encourage classmates."

The McNair program is currently accepting applications for 10 scholarships for the 2002 academic year. The application deadline is April 15, but advisers are flexible in allowing students the time needed to gather transcripts and recommendation letters.

Interested students should have at least one year remaining before graduation, and should contact the OMA for information regarding eligibility and GPA requirements. Anyone interested in the program should also possess a firm commitment to scholarship.

"We are there to help students, but the application process is actually similar to grad school applications," Harris said. "The students have to put in a great deal of work. We help them discover what kind of research they want to do, then help them find a grad school that is a good fit."

Both Gallardo and Harris are excited as their first group of scholars graduate and begin the long process towards becoming professors.

"This program increases diversity on campus and helps students make a difference in society," said Gallardo.

"What's so exciting is people like Christina will use their experience to be mentors to others in a few years," Harris added. "They will be given the chance to change the face of academia."