Research Update

03.04.2021

How Current McNair Scholars Perceive their Experiences in College as they Pursue Graduate School

After careful consideration, multiple conversations, and extremely helpful individuals, I met the goals I set for myself last semester. I successfully created my research proposal and applied to the Office and Research and Sponsored Programs Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program grant. I am incredibly ready to start the next steps of my undergraduate research with a new perspective on my research project.

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While some things changed, most stayed the same.

My research population has shifted and such changes come with research. I am now intending on interviewing current McNair Scholars from programs in the UW-System on their experience in undergrad and in preparing to attend graduate school. Not only is it important to me because I am a McNair Scholar, but the populations also represented through the McNair program are underrepresented in research. While beginning to gather research to help guide my own, I noticed there was little research noting the experiences of these historically underrepresented and misrepresented populations. I still plan on interviewing face-to-face, possibly via zoom if necessary. I am working through the process of obtaining my certificate to conduct research at UWEC through the Institutional Review Board.

Why I decided to shift.

I was feeling very unsure of myself and the direction of the research. I felt as though I was taking on too much, so I decided I needed to ask for others opinions. I started by talking to my mentor, where she suggested I reach out to the McNair program directors. It was the best thing I could have done; I was open to new avenues and truly articulated what I wanted to study. I want to study the experiences of students who are miraculous, the students who may have been predicted to fail, the students who growing up thought they could never live up to their aspirations. Specifically, those of first-generation college student status, those in financial need, and underrepresented ethnic populations will be my population.

These students, not just those in the McNair program, are extraordinary in so many ways, and their experiences in whatever they may be, deserve to be represented. This was my overall goal, to help further societal understanding of these students, and hopefully, enact change to better support them.

While things changed, I found information which will continue to be valuable.

One of my previous ideas consisted of researching programs that have proved to be valuable in the experiences of these students, such as the McNair program. I found that this idea would consist of more time than I have, however, I learned of programs that have furthered my understanding of what may be lacking for students. It is more than the academic process, finances, and familial support, imposter syndrome (not feeling as though one belongs), knowledge of available support, and many other things impact students’ perceptions and ability to attend graduate school. I will highlight these experiences through interviews and present the efforts already being done to better support these students.