Esmeralda Adolf, an EWU McNair Alumna, has recently been accepted into Boston College’s M.A. Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology program in the Lynch School of Education!
Alumni Spotlight
Phd Shelf of Fame!
Though we may be missing a few official dissertations, our shelf of fame is growing! Look at all these completed EWU McNair PhDs!
Alumni Spotlight: Isaura J. Gallegos-Webb
Congratulations to EWU McNair Alumni, Isaura J. Gallegos-Webb, who has recently been accepted into PhD programs at the University Of Georgia in Integrated Life Sciences and at Harvard University’s Harvard Graduate School of Ed-Human Development Teaching and Learning!
Alumni Spotlight – Micheal Callaway
Micheal Callaway, PhD (EWU TRiO McNair 1998)
Current Position: Residential Faculty and Writing Program Administrator, English Department
Mesa Community College (Mesa, AZ)
Dr. Micheal Callaway entered the TRiO McNair Program at Eastern Washington University in the summer after his sophomore year, in 1998. He completed a second summer of McNair research in 1999 and worked for the program teaching GRE preparation in the summer of 2000.
In his own words: “I feel very fortunate. I became aware of the McNair Program by accident. Back in the late 90s the McNair Program was located across the hall from the Academic Success Center (ASC), which housed TRIO Student Support Services. One of the advisers in the ASC suggested that I check out McNair. I had an hour to kill before my next class, so I walked across the hall. Those were five of the most important steps in my life. Up until that point, I didn’t have any life plans. I was in college because my parents told me that I had to go. They both had GEDs and couldn’t give me any insights into what the higher education landscape looked like. They just knew that I needed a degree to be successful. The McNair Program put me on track for success. I conducted research under the guidance of tenured faculty in the English department and presented at regional and national conferences.
The TRiO McNair Program even coordinated meetings with graduate schools on the trips to conferences. Meetings with faculty from other graduate programs were invaluable. From those experiences, I realized that my work with McNair set me apart from other undergraduates. Coming from the background that I did, it was easy for me to discount my own achievements. I had conducted research, “so what?” I thought that since my McNair faculty mentors were also my teachers that they praised my work because they liked me. The validation from scholars who didn’tknow me helped me see the value of my own work. My McNair advisers didn’t praise my work because they liked me; they saw promise in my work and wanted to support me as I grew into a scholar. Those experiences also taught me not to doubt my ability to make meaningful contributions to my field of study. Most of all, I realized that graduate school was within my reach. I never would have completed a doctorate degree, published articles or published a book if not for the program.”
Alumni Spotlight – ABD
Congratulations to M. Muas and Laura P.,
McNair Scholar Alumni, who have both passed their
comprehensive examines and are ABD!
We are so proud of you!
Alumni Spotlight – Kerensa Allison
Kerensa Allison, PhD (EWU TRiO McNair 1996)
Current Position: Associate Professor, Anthropology
Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho
Dr. Kerensa Allison earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Eastern Washington University (EWU) in 1997; a Master of Science Degree in Biology from EWU in 2000, and a PhD in Anthropology from Washington State University in 2010.
In her own words:I am the oldest of three children who grew up in a rural apple-producing town on the Canadian border (population 1,700). My mother and father worked hard to make ends meet; welfare, frequent moves, and wage labor were all part of my adolescence. Graduating from high school in 1993, I enrolled at Eastern Washington University the next fall, where I found myself underprepared for the college experience. Fortunately Eastern’s TRiO Student Support Services provided the foundation to complete my biology degree, and acceptance into the TRiO Ronald E. McNair Scholar Program changed the course of my life. TRiO McNair at EWU is not solely about preparing students for the GRE or helping them write their statement of purpose for graduate school. McNair helped me break down my personal barriers of self-doubt, which haunts all first-generation and low-income students. McNair provided the guidance in application, personal support during my academic journey, and celebration when I finished both my Master’s in Biology (EWU) and Doctorate in Anthropology (WSU).I recently accepted a tenure-track position working for Lewis-Clark State College where 80% of the student body qualifies for TRiO services. I will continue the TRIO legacy to help guide, support and inspire the next generation of TRiO students.