EWU McNair Program

Eastern’s TRIO McNair program was first funded in 1995, and has successfully competed and been awarded funding in all successive TRIO Department of Education grant competitions since. With over 150 TRIO McNair programs currently funded nationwide, Eastern’s program participates in a nationwide network committed to nurturing academic excellence through supporting diverse perspectives. Each person who is the first person in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree begins to blaze a trail for everyone in their family. The PhD takes people farther down that trail to a destination many first-generation, low-income students didn’t ever realize was a possibility. With a graduate degree, McNair scholars are not only role models for their families and communities, but are also able to bring their perspective and experience into academia as they teach and mentor the next generation. Since 1995, 39 EWU McNair Scholars have completed their PhD’s and over 117 have earned Master’s degrees.

In a recent panel, EWU McNair scholars spoke about the benefits of this program: "It gave me a support system and provided mentorship to guide me in making decisions along the way to getting to grad school," said senior Lily Ann Long, who has been accepted to the Psy.D. program at Point Park University.

Senior Abdulrazik Mohamed shared, "Writing was an obstacle for me as a first-generation college student and someone learning English, but McNair's support helped me make huge improvements." Abdu has been accepted by three Masters programs, one with a generous scholarship. He also has been awarded the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship which will give him full funding at any university of his choice!

“In presenting our success with analytical writing strategies,” Dukich states of her experience at MPPI, “I wanted to connect with other McNair professionals to build momentum around ways to enhance scholarly writing. When students learn that writing is a skill that continues to develop, and when they have strategies to demonstrate improvement and see their own growth, they begin to discover that writing is not a talent that some people inherit at birth and they gain confidence in their ability to define and describe their own diverse ideas in writing.”

At events like MPPI, McNair professionals continue to gather and share best practices, strengthen one another, and also set the example for institutions in higher education as to how best to serve first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. The EWU McNair Scholar program is proud to be a part of this work!

EWU McNair Alumna Sandra Espinoza summed up the power of McNair programs in an interview when she exited the program: "The Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Eastern Washington University is an extraordinary, effective, and life changing program. As a first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented student, I had no resources, role models, or advisors my freshman and sophomore year in college. I was insecure about my future and was terrified to use my voice. It wasn't until I applied and got accepted to the McNair program where I finally felt secure, confident, and brave to explore and dismantle traditional cycles that fabricate our society. McNair provided me the opportunity to complete an internship in the summer where I was allowed to collaborate with a mental health psychologist in the Counseling and Psychological service department at EWU. My mentor helped me complete my research study by meeting with me weekly, revising my writing structure, and providing resources and tools to help me enhance my writing and speaking abilities. The McNair program also helped me prepare for the Graduate Record Examinations with workshops, online study guides, and writing seminars. Furthermore, I was able to attend regional conferences and network with faculty and graduate students during campus tours which was all covered financially by the McNair program. A feminist, activist, and a proud Mestiza, describes who I am today and the woman that I have always aspired to be when I was a child. I couldn't have done it without the support, guidance, and contribution of the McNair program." Sandra is currently pursuing her PhD in counseling psychology with full funding at Western Michigan University.