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Program Prepares Doctoral Students

Posted on: Sunday, 22 January 2006, 18:00 CST

By DONALD LEE

Program prepares doctoral students

At 42, with a husband, two children in their 20s one of whom attends school with her and two teenage children, Southern University senior Lucy Scott is quite the nontraditional student.

It is mainly because of her age and having responsibility for such a large family over the years that she is thankful for the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program shes been enrolled in for 2 1/2 years at Southern University.

The program has enlightened me, shown me opportunities that are out there that I probably otherwise would not have known were out there, Scott said. It kind of thrust me into looking into some things that I, being a first-generation college student, would not be exposed to otherwise.

Scott said because of the program, shes confident that shes prepared to enter graduate school.

If it werent for the program, I would not have known as much as I know about preparation for graduate school, she said.

Now, Im not just getting myself ready, but Im keeping myself ready, she said.

The McNair program is one of several at university campuses nationwide that receive federal grants for projects designed to prepare participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.

McNair participants are first-generation college students who must meet certain income requirements and are interested in pursuing Ph.D. degrees.

The programs namesake, mission specialist Ronald E. McNair, was among the seven crew members who died when the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after being launched at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 28, 1986. A week from today marks the 20th anniversary of the Challenger explosion.

The McNair program and similar programs work closely with participants throughout their college careers, tracking their progress and keeping them encouraged until they receive doctoral degrees.

Sharon Armstrong, the new coordinator of the 3-year-old program at Southern, lauds it for the exposure it gives the students.

Its a wonderful program which affords students the opportunity to experience graduate work while still participating in undergraduate studies, Armstrong said of the program, which has 22 participating students. It helps them to build their confidence and broaden their life experiences.

Alma Thornton, director of the McNair program, is pleased with how the program and its volunteers have been of service to the students.

We provide assistance; we provide research experiences; we provide mentors; we do GRE. (Graduate Record Exam) training; and we provide tutors, if they need tutors, Thornton said. Weve begun to enroll (the students) in doctoral programs in different parts of the country. Its a quality program. Its a very rewarding experience and unique opportunity.

Betty Davis, a program volunteer, said she enjoys working with the McNair program because she wants to see more young minority students pursuing doctoral degrees.

Davis said the students visit other universities and go to conferences where they present research papers and are graded on those presentations.

They do quite well, she said. Theyve been getting good ratings on their presentations, and this helps enhance their oral presentation skills.

Its a great opportunity for all minorities, the 61-year-old volunteer said. We didnt have this when we were in school. There are professors to mentor them. I tell all the students that they are blessed because they have opportunities that we did not have.

Davis, who is just nine hours shy of her masters degree, said shes also being encouraged.

Davis said shes excited about working with Armstrong, who has been on the job two weeks.

Shes going to be great for this program, and I think its going to continue to flourish with her because shes good with the students, Davis said.

Services the program provides include: academic counseling, mentoring, tutoring, assistance in obtaining student financial aid, summer internships and securing admission and financial aid for enrollment in graduate programs.

The program will have an orientation for new students from 9 a.m. until noon today in Higgins Hall.

For information about the program, call Sharon Armstrong at (225) 771-4714.

Donald Lees e-mail address is djlee@theadvocate.com

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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