A note to the soon-to-graduate: Your life is about to change

Hello McNair Scholars,

As an introduction to the newer cohorts, including the cohort of 2014, who I'm sure are all really excited to hear from former members of the McNair Program, I thought I would write this letter. My name is Justin Mendoza, I was a member of the 2011 McNair Cohort at Central Michigan University. It was honestly one of the best experiences I've been through as a student. I can remember that summer in Mount Pleasant, working on research that I felt at the time was extremely important to my life. The things to never take for granted in the program are definitely the connections you'll have with the directors and advisors you're connected to. Even more than the research, these connections will give you the things you need to graduate and get into graduate school, communication skills, a support system, and also letters of recommendation. Even more important are the content of conversations themselves. I remember talking with one of my advisors (who at the time was a grad assistant with McNair) who told me that I sounded more like a "public health guy"to be honest, I hadn't ever thought about public health, I thought at that time that I wanted to get a PhD in Neuroscience. After the conversation with her, I started to look at graduate programs in Public Health.

Now, post-McNair, I have the privilege of attending graduate school, granted not in the field I originally set out as a McNair scholar in, and also not in a PhD program (yet), but I am earning my Master's in Public Health from Yale School of Public Health, and I honestly have McNair to thank largely for that.

But this letter isn't just about the McNair experience, its really about the experience that comes soon thereafter, the experience of moving on from your roots at CMU. Through your life to this point, and even with what time you have left with McNair (yes, even you, graduating seniors), you will and have made the strongest connections possible at CMU. At least, that is what I did, and what I hope you did. In a matter of weeks, or maybe a year to the younger scholars, you will be walking in front of a stage full of faculty from departments all around the university. The university provost, president, vice provosts, and department chairs will sit, ornate in their hoods, watching you as you wait to receive a scroll, symbolizing your diploma and your accomplishment (Spoiler alert, the scroll is from the alumni network, asking for donations already... enjoy that). You'll then hear a few more speeches about the world and life beyond college, and then you'll march out of the Events Center to a bright, bustling crowd, including your parents, family, lovers, and friends. There will be hugs, tears, and all together a relief that you finally had a reward for finishing that final paper at 4am instead of going to the Bird (we've all been there). But then, that's it. You're no longer a student at CMU, and you're going to leave your roles behind forever.

In my case, I knew I'd never be an alternative breaks site leader at CMU, the leader of the UAEM chapter there, or a researcher in brooks or the department of public health as I was. For you, maybe you'll never be a non-alumn of that sorority or fraternity, or never again be the leader of your student organization, maybe you even started it. But this is not a sad time, I promise. Leaving CMU's wonderful place behind is going to rock your world.

Graduate school is hard work, so I'd say take a vacation this summer. Relax. Go to the beach, enjoy a Mai-thai, watch lots of movies, see those old friends and family you've been saying you'll visit for years, because many of you will leave Michigan entirely as you transcend into graduate school. Any way you slice it, this summer you need a break, and it'll be over before you know it.

Next thing you know, you'll be walking into orientation at your new school. You'll be told all about the new curriculum, the resources available to you, grad assistantships (if you haven't lined one up yet), and might even hear about the night life and student groups. You'll meet new peers, all feeling just as nervous  about this new place as you, who will want to get coffee, get a drink, get pizza, etc. My advice, do it all. The beginning of the year is mostly syllabi (nope, that doesn't change), so enjoy your freedom and get to know your classmates.

You'll notice right away that no one has the same path from undergrad to here. Some may have worked, some have entirely different undergraduate fields from you, some come from ivy leagues, some from big ten schools. But your roots don't matter that much, you're all peers now, even Western students can be your friends!

But the truth is, you'll love it in grad school. No more useless classes (for the most part) everything will be tailored to what you want to be an expert in. I'd advise you to take advantage of any opportunity you see. There're more speakers on interesting topics for grad students, there'll be seminars with free food and great older students presenting their research like you will some day. Take advantage, learn as much as you can outside of your own research and courses, along with the traditional things. That is beauty of it. But always remember the balance McNair tried to teach you. Go to the gym, seriously, its an amazing place to think about life. Travel with your new friends, you'll be around new sites, and it is so fun to go to new places!

Overall, this is an exciting time, and you will truly enjoy it. I sure know that I have, and I don't think it's something unique to me. Grad-life is amazing, and although you may miss CMU from time-to-time, just remember its time for someone else to shine where you once did!

Rock on Scholars,
Justin Mendoza
McNair Scholar, 2011
MPH Candidate 2015
Health Policy
Yale School of Public Health


PS - if you ever have any questions - justin.mendoza@yale.edu

Tell Us About Your Research

This time of year can get a bit stressful for new scholars as they get ready to present their research proposals to their faculty research mentors. They've been working on this all semester so it's a real milestone and accomplishment along their McNair journeys. What's great is that they have an awesome "trio of support" in the form of Dr. Brooke Harrison, Dr. Shelly Hinck and Ms. Maureen Harke. These tremendous women have the scholars' best interests in hand and are ready to help formulate, massage and fine-tune the inner workings of their research presentations. They are also here to grow confidence. I personally love seeing our scholars evolve in their presentation abilities and styles between now and the fall when they present their actual research findings.

Here are some thoughts and recommendations that I would like to offer:

• Take full advantage by being prepared to practice your stuff.

• Let yourself shine!  We want to see your excitement - tell us why your work is important.

• Be sure to hit on the three most important points about your work - (1) give us context, (2) tell us what you are going to do and (3) what you are hoping to find.

• Less is more - don't overload the audience with content - stick to major points.

• Be professional but try to be relaxed too.

• Your audience is typically rooting for you and wants to hear what you have to say.

• Bust it out and put forward your best effort, but realize that this is PRACTICE and that in the end it really doesn't matter. Does that seem counter intuitive? Should I not be saying things like this?! Perhaps. But, it's my personal philosophy that you've probably heard before - we want all of you to do a great job and you will. This is just another step in the process. Outcomes don't matter that much as long as you know that you made your best effort.  Presenting can make people a little crazy (some actually stop breathing) - but the stress really isn't worth it. It's just a conversation about your work. Tell us about your research and chances are we are going to want to know more!

McNair scholars rock and you are all going to do great in your own sweet ways. Enjoy this! All of the sudden you are going to turn around and it will be time to start practicing for the fall.  :)

Goodness Vs. Greatness

As I walked out of the newly-released Disney movie Oz: The Great and Powerful this past weekend, I was struck with how apt its core message was: aspire not to greatness, but to goodness. As a natural over-achiever, I have, as long as I can remember, wanted to achieve great things. Yet, even as I won academic scholarships and research awards, I was never content. 

Over the years, though, I have come to realize that it is when I am volunteering that I feel most at peace. Indeed, while volunteering, I feel purposeful, happy, and even inspired. Completing community service has helped me to realize that doing good in the world should not be regarded as any less of an achievement than being great. Indeed the “goodness” spread through service to others has far-reaching and lasting impacts on the individual volunteering and those they are serving: volunteering is humbling; it allows individuals to apply their knowledge, passions, and talents for the benefit of others, especially the less fortunate; it allows one to connect with others in their community; it fosters open-mindedness and acceptance of diverse populations; it allows one to “Pay It Forward”; and it can be a great way for one to gain new experiences, see new places, and be exposed to new ideas. 

McNair Scholars are truly some of the best, brightest, and most inspiring individuals I have ever met. All of you have overcome adversity of one form or another to get where you are and you have now set for yourself some very big and impressive goals. I can tell you first hand, though, how easy it is to get caught up in these goals and to (1) not make time for the seemingly "small" and non-relevant things like volunteering here and there in the community and (2) not realize that by doing good, even in small amounts here and there, we really truly are making big contributions to society and developing into the great people we want to be. :)

New Heights

I find this time of year to be very exciting.  And a little sad.  I'm excited about the new phases of life and new experiences approaching for our scholars.  I'm sad that some are going to be leaving us.  That's part of it though.

I encourage you all to take pause with where you are at this moment.  I'm thinking about our graduating scholars finishing up their final semester at CMU and preparing to move to their new city or town to begin their graduate work next fall.  HUGE changes there.  Finishing one chapter in your life and moving into another.  All of your work, all of the experiences you've had at CMU, all of these things have led you to this point.  Take pause and really think about that.

:: Justin C and Sara headed to Athens, Georgia
:: Jenn and Tom headed to Ithaca, New York
:: Tanisha, Chance and gang headed south south to San Marcos, Texas -- or we could say Austin!
:: Darnell staying put at CMU for just a bit longer then who knows!
:: Jared and Robyn going to Mad-town (aka Madison, Wisconsin)
:: Maame following suite -- party in Mad-town!
:: Katelyn -- another soon to be Wisconsinite -- cruising to Milwaukee!
:: Ke`Ara likely to find a home in the big city of Nashville.
:: And Justin M -- I'm going to make an "educated guess" and say New York City it will be.

Then we have scholars headed to new cities to set up shop in new labs with new faculty mentors. These scholars are "trying on" their top-choice graduate programs for size by having secured (highly sought after and lucrative) positions in a Summer Research Opportunity Program (CLICK HERE for more info on these SROP's).  This is one of the best ways I know to get yourself into a graduate program.  This is a critical juncture in their journeys to graduate school.  I'm excited to see what the summer brings and what connections might be made.

:: Sam's going to Pittsburgh (after a short jaunt to Bermuda)
:: Nicole is joining Jared and Maame in Madison

AND, we have all of our new scholars preparing themselves (right at this moment) to become original researchers.  Proposals are being prepared and presentations are being crafted.  This group is getting ready to advance into the realm of scholarly research with gusto and confidence. I can see it already.  I see enthusiasm.  I see pride.  Yes I see apprehension and some confusion, but that always comes along the way.  Once we hit the spring research symposium, these scholars are sailing with new found energy and accomplishment.  It's going to be a summer of exploration--both personally and professionally.  Pause where you are right now and soak it in.

Pause where ever you are right now and SOAK IT IN.

Introducing our New McNair Scholars!

We are pleased to announce our newest cohort of scholars who are setting off on their McNair journey. Each scholar is developing an original research project with a faculty research mentor and learning about the process of research in their field. This summer, the scholars will complete their research projects and devise their plan for applying to graduate school. Stay tuned for the McNair Fall Research Symposium to hear about their findings and see this awesome group emerge as future Ph.D.’s. None of this would be possible if we weren't successfully awarded another five years of funding from the U.S. Department of Education. We are very grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work with our McNair scholars. See CMU's official press release here.

2013 McNair Cohort

Bruce Barnes, Sociology 

Amanda Clark, Biochemistry 

Andy Deery, Neuroscience 

Jim Dunn, Biochemistry 

Matt Forbes, Political Science 

Rhianna French, Psychology 

Rob Fritchman, Sociology 

Shantell Johnson, Psychology 

Nicole Lynn-Bell, Biology 

Leah Mays, Math 

Ashley Pollock, Geography 

Amanda Sleezak, Health Sciences 

Jayson Smith, Biology 

Tara Vancil, Biomedical Sciences 

Mickey Wong, Linguistics

Mentors

In the McNair experience, mentors are front and central.  They are an integral part of the experience because they provide expertise, offer support and encouragement, and many times, open doors of opportunity that might seem impossible today.  It’s not to say that the mentor relationship can “make or break you” – but having a good one can make all the difference.

A good mentor will:

• Teach you how to do research in your field
• Expand your knowledge of the field
• Teach you how to ask questions – good questions!
• Model what it’s like to be a professional in the field
• Lend their expertise, wisdom and insights
• Share their experiences and relate them to your own
• Challenge and support you at the same time
• Give you constructive feedback and encourage you to do more
• Connect you with colleagues and other professionals to help you network
• Help you figure out your path
• Help you make good choices about your education and work opportunities
• Call you out when you’re not holding up “your end of the deal”

So, how do you set out to have the best possible mentor relationship?  Well, you try your hardest to be true to yourself, you put forward your energy and enthusiasm, you be respectful and then you let go.  No one has the power to control others.  All you can do is put yourself out there in an honest way and hope that your mentor will be a good fit for you.  And if it’s not?  You move along and find yourself the next mentor who WILL be a great fit for you!

Holding up your end of the deal:

• Connect with your mentor regularly and in person
• Come prepared with a list of 2-3 major items you would like to discuss
• Come prepared with your “homework” or “to do list” completed from your last mentor meeting
• Be honest with your mentor if you are not quite understanding a research task or how it fits within the bigger picture of your project
• It’s useful to step back and review the “big picture” from time to time to make sure it’s fresh in your mind
• BE ON TIME ALL THE TIME!
• Focus on your work together and not personal problems and issues---it’s good to get your know mentor on a personal level (this tends to happen naturally, over a period of time)---but keep the focus of your conversations on your research
• If something isn’t working for you or you can’t make a scheduled meeting, just be honest and get in touch with your mentor well beforehand to discuss
• Make sure you know how your mentor likes to be contacted---mostly through email, have they offered you their cell phone number, do they text?  In general, you should only call/text (if that’s okay with them) during “normal business hours” and not super early in the morning or super late at night!  You can always send an email.
• Go above and beyond.  Let your mentor see your passion by not just doing exactly what they say---take their guidance as a starting point and then run with it---this is truly the basis of a burgeoning researcher at heart!
• Most important: have fun, work hard and enjoy the process…