It is my pleasure to announce that we have 18 new steller CSUEB McNair Scholars for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Faria	Alamkhel
sarah	Araya
Alejandro	Escalante-Flores
Michelle	Faust
William	Gaines
Brandy	Hendricks
Sasha	Hin
Matthew	Lawrence
Jenny	Le
Sahar	Muhsin
Ginika	Ogbu
Julie	Pyatt
Mark	Selzer
Valentina	Simkin
Joe	Tafoya
Adelita	Tinoco
Alberto	Valdivia
Phillip	Williams

 

We just finished up our McNair Summer Seminar class and scholars are gearing up to attend a series of McNair workshops to prepare their grad school application portfolios. Scholars will be working on writing  curriculum vitas, drafting up personal statements, and preparing to present thier research in our Fall CSUEB McNair Symposium. The symposium is open to the CSUEB campus community and students interested in applying to the McNair Program are encouraged to attend on Nov 13th. More information regarding this event will be forthcoming.

Exciting News

Mikel Delgado and Kim Nguyen–were selected out of 258 applicants to participate in the 2009-2010 Sally Casanova California Pre-Doctoral Program! Congrats Mikel and Kim!

Kim Nguyen–double major in business and math is currently studying abroad in Korea and Debbie Giron–ethnic studies major is currently studying abroad in London.. Don’t forget to bring  back souvenirs for your fellow scholars!

8 new McNair Scholars successfully completed the McNair Boot Camp this summer at San Jose State University.

 Scholar Shout Out

I hope that everyone joins me in congratulating Phillip Williamsfor being selected to participate in the Third Annual Iowa Mathematical Field of Dreams Conference and StatFest Conference at The University of Iowa..ALL EXPENSES PAID.

There is much to learn from our McNair Scholars. Wake up CSUEB students and join us!!!

Until I return….Happy Studies.

Your partner for success!

Takiyah

Congratulations CSUEB McNair Scholars on your acceptance to Ph.D/M.A. programs!!

Sandra Martin  

Major: English

University of Arizona, Educational Psychology

McNair Mentor: Dr. Barbara Storms

 

Manual Ricardo Flores

Major: Liberal Studies

Stanford University, Educational Technology

McNair Mentor: Dr. Nick Baham

 

Christine Valdez

Major: Psychology

Northern Illinois University, Clinical Psychology

McNair Mentor: Dr. David Sandberg

 

Jasmine Jackson

Major: Computer Science

Florida International University,

Telecommunications and Engineering Program

University of North Carolina-Charlotte,

Computer Science

McNair Mentor: Dr. Hilary Holz

 

Ana Angel

Major: Ethnic Studies

San Jose State University, Ethnic Studies

McNair Mentor: Luz Calvo

 

Nena Bush

Major: Ethnic Studies

Erikson Institute, Child Development

McNair Mentor: Dr. Barbara Paige

 

Sade Young

Major: Ethnic Studies

University of Bowling Green, Popular Culture

University of Wisconsin-Madison, African-American Studies

McNair Mentor: Luz Calvo

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so thrilled with the success that our scholars are living!! This is the time in our program where we have those awe moments, where we realize the goals that what we are working towards.

Sandra Martin is a dynamic McNair Scholar. She came into this program focused on entering graduate school and she attacked the process of submitting applications, getting recommendations, conquering the GRE, and writing that personal statement like a seasoned professional. I wonder want influences Ms. Martin personal drive? I wonder where her drive comes from.  Well, I know from personal experience that behind every story of success there is a story of struggle.

It’s not my place to share Ms. Martin’s struggle, she will inspire the world with the obstacles she has overcome when it’s her time. But I will say that she is a pure example of someone who is a trailblazer. WATCH OUT WORLD!! If she allowed you the privilege to look into her past, Ph.D bond scholar of education probably would not be the words used to characterize a girl for the streets of East Oakland. A place where your first lessons are not the piano, or ice skating, but lessons of survival.  

Needless to say, I am proud of Sandra and each one of you. Continue to encourage each other with your success.

-Peace.

 

 

How do you decide what your research topic is? I think this is the question that runs through the minds of many students new to the McNair Scholars Program. It was definitely one of mines.

I stayed up many nights just to think about what is it that I want to research. I would get frustrated with myself when I couldn’t figure out the answer. After many restless nights, I realized that I approached this simple question very wrong. Instead of trying to think of random topics, I realized that I had to find out what is it that I am passionate about. What is it that lights a fire in my belly? It was then that I found out how much I wanted to make a difference in the workplace. I’ve heard stories from friends about how managers abused their power, how sales were stolen from associates, and when my friends were mistreated how their managers retaliated when they reported the misconducts. Why do these issues occur? I needed to find the answers.

I think that once you find out what you are passionate about, it sorta becomes the engine that drives your research. The only thing left is to find the framework and missing parts that makes your research complete. So here I am today still adding on the missing parts, but the engine is still running.

One of the main reasons that I was excited about becoming a McNair Scholar was that I felt as though it gave me an advantage over other grad. school applicants.  Well, I have realized that while it does give me an advantage and I have learned a lot about the grad. school application process the realization has hit me that you have to be a little crafty as well.  The most important thing I have learned, and unfortunately I had to really learn it the hard way, is that you HAVE to network.  Networking within your dept. at the school you graduated from ain’t enough either……you gonna reach out your tentacles.  You HAVE to get your name out there, and let’s face it, it doesn’t hurt if you “know someone” either.  Well, I don’t know ANYONE, so I have a disadvantage.  What I can do though is let people get to know ME. 

Last Tuesday I received the news that the one school I had my heart set on did not want me.  Well, I have almost a year to make them want me……to do some academic “seducing” if you will.  I also can take this time to beef up my academic resume and study so that I can boost my GRE score.  I am definitely going to re-apply to UC Davis, and I am going to apply earlier this time.  I e-mailed the chair of the graduate admissions committee after I got the news.  I asked him to please review my application and give me some feedback.  He e-mailed me back saying he would, but as of yet he has not.  I will post again when I get word from him and hopefully his advice will be helpful to those who are getting ready to apply themselves. 

While I still have my heart set on going to UC Davis, and I am really bummed…….I mean I spent my whole undergrad education PLANNING on going to grad. school and I spent a lot of time creating a well-rounded academic resume……but I am not so bummed that I am just going to throw in the towel.  I will apply to other schools as well, and even though I don’t want to I will apply to a couple Master’s programs as a Plan B.  If I STILL don’t get in to UC Davis next year, so help me God when I do get my PhD I am going to photocopy it and send it to the UC Davis poli sci dept. and tell them, “I did it anyway, so there!”   Maybe I can send them an autographed book someday or a copy of  Foreign Affairs with my article on the cover…….yup childish I know, but just thinking about it kind of makes me feel better!  LOL

Hello,

My name is Jasmine. I’m a senior at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, CA. Majoring in Computer Science, minoring in Mathematics. Applying to graduate schools as i’m typing this (:. I’m applying to five schools:

1. Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)

2. Florida International University (Miami, FL)

3. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)

4. University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)

5. Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA)

I’m a full-time student, part time worker and researcher (I work for Social Security), and most times I find myself not being able to juggle everything. I’m the baby of my family (I have one older brother). I’m the first granddaughter on my mothers side of the family to receive a high school diploma (and hopefully) will be the first grandchild (on both sides) to receive a bachelors degree. Just thinking about those last two statements give me anxiety attacks because I feel like i’m on a pedestal. Graduated from Berkeley High in 2002 (yes i’m graduating college after being an undergrad for seven years). I’m torn when deciding my top choice. I feel that the best place for me academically would be Georgia Tech because their Information Security program is exactly what I want to do, but i’m lured by the glamorous life of Miami (hey I always wanted to live by the beach!).

I come from a musical family, my oldest aunt played the piano. My dad plays the bass, my uncle and other aunt play the organ and piano, so naturally music was easy for me. I played the clarinet while in elementary and middle school. I had to give this up due to a sex offender moving to my neighborhood, and my parents didn’t feel safe about me leaving the house at 7am. I was heartbroken to say the least. I went through a rebellious stage in the later years of middle school and early years of high school. I was almost expelled from high due to excessive abscences. I felt the need to fit in and be accepted amongst my peers. I had one truancy officer predict that I was going to drop out by the 11th grade due to pregnancy (by the way this didn’t happen). In 10th grade I developed new friends and started doing better in school, and graduated on time. After graduating from high school I went to Vista Community College (now known as Berkeley City College) then transferred to Laney College in Oakland to finish my pre-req’s.

I transferred to Cal State East Bay on a fluke. While at community college my top school was New Jersey Institute of Technology. I applied and was admitted to the school, but since I didn’t have any money, or scholarships I couldn’t go. The school offered me 8k when it was 25k to go. So I applied to Cal State East Bay and Cal State Sacramento, my plan was that whichever school accepted me first was the school that I was going to go to. Well needless to say East Bay extended their offer first. The day I mailed my letter of intent to East Bay was the same day I received the acceptance letter from Sac State.

When I transferred to East Bay I was naive. I thought that I was going to breeze through the classes and get my degree. The first quarter at East Bay I had to repeat a mathematics course-Discrete Mathematics because I received a D at Laney. I told my new teacher how I was repeating the course over and when I told him the teachers name he was like, “Oh Dr. Hubbert is a friend of mine. He’s an excellent professor.” And from that day on he tried to humilate  me in every class period. I was on the verge of giving up and dropping his class, but I told myself that I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I stayed in the course and received an A-. Needless to say I learned my lesson and never took another class with him again.

My dream job would be to work in the United Nations International Telecommunications Development Union (ITU-D) to find solutions to global network security. This would be the perfect job for me because I love technology plus I love traveling to new places and meeting new people. During the second yeat at Hayward I was toying with the idea of studying abroad in Ghana or joining the Peace Corps, but I decided against it when I realized that I had to stay in school for another year. Don’t worry guys, i’m working on this goal! (:

I’m excited about being a McNair Scholar, even though I find little time to do my research. I’m somewhat nervous about the winter symposium due to the little work that I have done in my research. I’m grateful for the knowledge that I received through McNair. Before doing McNair, my goal was to graduate college and work in the computer science industry. After being in McNair I realized that I want to receive my doctorate in computer science. I’m a firm believer that it doesn’t matter how one starts their race, but rather how they finish.  I want to be that example to students mainly students of color and women. I want to show them that they can defy all odds and obstacles in their way as long as they believe in themselves and remain humble.

Well i’m going to sign off and start studying for my midterms tomorrow and do a personal statement for a fellowship.

Until the next time,

~J

When I decided to pursue a doctorate’s degree, I thought it was too late. At that time, I had about two more years left of school. What did I, Kimhong Nguyen, have to show on my graduate application? Yes, I volunteered here and there, but was that enough? No. Was I prepared for graduate work? No. Did I even know how the application process worked? No. I was completely lost.

I remembered walking around on campus thinking about what I needed to do to get a step closer to my dream. The answers were not just going to magically come to me, I told myself I needed to be proactive. I MUST be proactive. I decided to check our school’s website to look at what resources they provide. It was there that I found out about the McNair Scholars Program. The goal of the program “is to introduce students from eligible groups to graduate school, opportunities for academic research experiences, and the intellectual rewards of graduate study during their undergraduate training”. After reading the pamphlet and materials online, it was very clear to me that I needed to get accepted into the McNair Scholars Program. When I looked at the application for the McNair Scholars Program, I must admit I was a little afraid. As a transfer student, how was I going to get two recommendation letters here on campus? I wasn’t just going to sit there and sulk. Instead, I spoke to two staff members at the Excel Program, Valerie Taniguchi and Diana Balgas. Both were very helpful and even took extra steps to help me meet with the coordinator of the McNair Scholar’s Program, Takiyah Franklin. The outcome of these meetings helped my obtain not just two but three recommendation letters from professors that I look up to. Through this experience I learned that I did not need to try to figure out everything myself. There are people out there who are willing to help.

As soon as I was accepted into the McNair Scholar’s Program, I knew I had created a contract of commitment. This was not just a commitment to myself, but also to my community, my fellow cohort, and my mentors. There is a high level of expectations, but I aim to meet them. Taking initiative and being proactive is a critical strategy in making things happen. I learned that no one will come and hand you a silver platter of achieved goals. You must take actions yourself, and more importantly you must believe in yourself. Regardless of the obstacles that stand in your way, it is never too late to pursue your dreams.

So…What is this McNair Program all about? A Critical Reflection

If I had to sum up what the McNair Scholars Program is all about in a couple of words my response would be…to encourage students to take ownership over their academic experiences through research. –It’s so much more than just preparing students for a Ph.D…so much more. I’m sure plenty of other McNair staff, mentors, and participants can second this statement.

It’s about sharing your struggles and frustrations with academia in a community of people who understand your journey. It’s about knowing and believing that you are destined for success against the forces within the educational system that breed doubt and insecurities. It’s about GRE scores, and realizing that the test is another grad school gatekeeper. It’s about research papers, labs, presentations, critical questions, literature reviews, and anything else related to “academia”. It’s about fighting off those moments when you’re confronted with the fear of not being smart enough. It’s about staying encouraged and filled with promise and intellectual curiosity despite subliminal and sometimes blatant messages saying, “You can’t do this”.

It’s about being a single mother, working a full time job and taking 20 units, or looking into your upper level math and science classes and wondering why the only brown face in the class is your own. It’s about wanting to give up but realizing that you’re not alone in the feeling. It’s about sharing the excitement of your first PH.D program acceptance letter with your fellow McNair scholars. . . And when you recieve a rejection letter…knowing that it does not measure your potential for success. 

It’s about having to dig so deep inside of yourself that you know —SUCCESS IS NOT AN OPTION—and that your survival depends on it.

These statements make up the realities of the McNair Scholars at CSUEB, and the experiences of students from McNair programs throughout the nation.

The McNair Program is a national community of scholars who are redefining the boundaries of research. We are changing the face of the academy so that there is a more authentic and balanced representation of ideological perspectives and a wider range of people of color teaching in the American academy.

McNair is a collective movement that is in the business of creating scholars and manifesting dreams.

We hold are scholars accountable to the highest standards of academic achievement because outside of our supportive arms our students are at war. They are at war with an educational system that did not anticipate the active and critical participation of people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our scholars are knocking down the doors of academia saying …I belong here too!

The McNair Program at CSUEB contributes to the creation of an intellectually stimulating and supportive academic atmosphere as scholars push towards achieving their goals. We value the time and energy scholars, mentors and administrators invest into the development of scholars who will become public intellectuals, cutting-edge researchers and outstanding teachers of the future.