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. :)

Reaching Out

On Friday we had the privilege of hosting a panel discussion on mentoring with three really amazing CMU faculty members.  Dr. Phame Camarena, Dr. Claudia Douglass and Dr. Michelle Steinhilb all shared their stories of having instrumental mentors (whether they knew it at the time or not) along their educational and professional journeys as well as their experiences mentoring students.  Candid with their advice, I think the primary message is to be open to finding mentoring opportunities in lots of different places and don't be afraid to reach out to others.  You never know when someone will end up being a pivotal force in your life.

Another key point emphasized by all of our panel members is being proactive in fostering mentoring relationships early on in your undergraduate career.  No matter what trajectory you follow once you complete your bachelor's, chances are, you will need people (read: more than just one person) to vouch for your character, provide a reference for a job or write a letter of recommendation for graduate school.  Becoming connected with faculty (beyond just attending their class) can often lead to mutually beneficial relationships - especially if you are assisting a faculty member with their research and doing a really awesome job!

The take home:

• Develop mentoring relationships with as many individuals as you think you need
• Be open and curious 
• Be super respectful and always work hard
• Say thank you - a lot!
• Be yourself and ask lots of questions