Ten students in Texas State University’s McNair Scholars Program, a federal TRIO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, recently graduated during spring commencement ceremonies in May.
The program, officially known as the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, was created in 1989 to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The goal of the program, which was designed in 2022 at TXST to support up to 25 undergraduate students, is to increase graduate degree awards for low-income, first-generation students.
“This program is essential because it aligns with the university’s mission and overall objects of increasing enrollment into graduate programs, advancing our Run to R1 initiative, and bolstering our workforce development,” said Rafael Cordero, executive director for TRIO Programs at TXST. “McNair helps these students enter the next realm of possibility as we continue to focus on academic success. It’s really life changing.”
Through the program, students are supported with resources to prepare them for graduate-level studies. Students engage in summer research activities with faculty members, participate in summer internships, attend professional conferences to present their research, and are connected with the IDEA Center (Innovation, Discovery, Exploration, and Analysis).
Thomas Mendoza, a senior computer science major, applied for the program at the end of his sophomore year in 2023 after searching TXST’s scholarship initiatives.
As a first-generation student, Mendoza remembers his parents being adamant about him taking as many community college classes as possible when he was in high school because it was in the budget — but he had bigger plans.
“It was a big decision to go to a four-year university, but I realized if I didn’t take this leap or didn’t invest in myself, then what else do I have to invest in?” Mendoza said. “It was a huge leap of faith, but the McNair Scholars Program connected me with all these wonderful opportunities and scholarships. They made it all achievable.”
He excelled in research courses, received hands-on experience with a research project, attended conferences, and participated in an internship through the IDEA Center.
After graduation, he plans to join the workforce and pursue a master’s degree at the same time. After being connected with graduate school workshops, he feels better prepared to enter the application cycle.
Iris Okoro, a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, found the program especially useful due to his interest in research.
After starting at the University of Houston in 2016 for biology, Okoro dropped out and moved to Canada for a few years due to questioning his course interests. After finding his way through art and computer technology, he chose to move back to attend TXST because of its nature-focused campus and a deeper connection between students and faculty.
He found out about the McNair Scholars Program from Mariah Gutierrez, a staff member for TXST’s Partnership for Education in Materials (PREM) Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly (CIMA) and master’s student, who knew he was interested in research. He later became one of the original McNair Scholars.
The biggest takeaway from Okoro participating in the program was working with mentor Yoichi Miyahara, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Physics, for research publication guidance. The research he completed while in the program was automating kelvin probe force microscopy for imaging how electrons are distributed on surfaces, something helpful for semiconductor technology.
“I met Dr. Miyahara at a talk on physics that I attended for extra credit,” Okoro said. “His name was the first one to pop up when I Googled ‘quantum Texas State’ before enrolling here. You can imagine by the time I saw him in person, things were clicking. People in his research group invited me to his lab and things skyrocketed for my research journey.”
As he continues to apply for graduate school, his TXST senior design team will be showing off their autonomous robotic arm that draws line art from user-uploaded images at the “Completing the Circuit” showcase on July 20 at MotherShip Studios in San Marcos. Their project won the Ingram School of Engineering’s Best Project Faculty Choice award earlier this year.
“For so many of the original cohorts to move through the program is exciting because it means the program is starting to take shape,” said Sonya Armstrong, Ed.D., interim director of the McNair Scholars Program. “It’s such a new program, but we’re starting to see the concrete benefits of it. Getting to see what these students accomplish and where they are going is incredible.”
The program is recruiting sophomore and junior Pell Grant-eligible, first-generation students with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a rolling basis. It also accepts applications from freshmen but cannot support those students until they enter a sophomore classification.
Visit the McNair Scholars Program webpage for more information on eligibility and how to apply.