Ronald E. McNair Scholars 2005: Active in Our Education
Kiran Bains

Good evening, I am privileged to speak tonight as a representative of my fellow McNair Scholars. We represent seven different universities and collectively study seventeen majors. Over half of us will be the first generation in our families to graduate from college and as McNair Scholars we have researched issues ranging from Jumping Genes in Malaria to Samuel Huntington’s Hispanization. For eight weeks, we have built community through active independent research, GRE preparation, and service.

During the first week, those familiar with Notre Dame provided constant campus tours for the others and as Dr. Pope-Davis informed us of our high expectations, the mentors set the tone for the productive summer. The chaos of this first week proved short-lived when the scholars gathered for a birthday celebration. We joined hands and prayed for the success of our summer as though we had blown out candles together for years. We quickly realized the value of our unity as we rigorously executed our research agendas.

Mid-way through the program we further acquainted ourselves with doctoral studies at a graduate student panel. We personalized their recommendations from choosing a school to making and maintaining healthy relationships. Soon after, four of my fellow scholars and I represented McNair while addressing Upward Bound, a group of high school graduates seeking higher education. They questioned us on choosing an area of study, establishing new relationships, and maintaining a focus.

The themes addressed evoked a strong sense of familiarity. At that moment, I realized the McNair Scholars were couched between those looking up to us- such as underclassmen at our respective universities, younger siblings, and our mentees at the Robinson Center- to those who were maintaining watchful eyes on us- the giants of the McNair Program, particularly our mentors, whose shoulders we now stand on.

These onlookers with great expectations have fostered an outlet for us to hone our research skills. The development which took place as thirty of us were lost in the libraries and labs of Notre Dame reinforced in each of us the saliency of undergraduate research. Through living and learning in community, we met the challenges set forth by the McNair Program and successfully set the agenda for future McNair participants, just as the past scholars have done for us.

In a recent workshop we addressed the components of a catholic mass. Again the theme of unity arose when we were reminded of the importance in surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals. After six birthday celebrations, countless intramural basketball games, and multi-cultural conversations over brunch, our unity, which some of us refer to as “The Family,” has led us to seek a similar cohesiveness among current graduate students whose universities we will apply to.

For the strength and purpose given from those eyes wavering above us this summer, we would like to thank the University of Notre Dame, the administrative assistant Mary Nichols and our graduate student mentor Marcée Turner. Also, to our GRE preparers- Dr. Terry Akai and Dr. Jaleh Dashti-Gibson- for their dedication and one-on-one commitments.

And finally, thank you, Dr. Donald Pope-Davis: On our first morning together you welcomed the scholars to the McNair Summer Research Program and said,”Don’t be passive about your education.” Today, I feel confident and purposeful in informing you- we are highly active in our education. We are now making preparations to continue our research in the fall and have solidified our desires to pursue advanced degrees.

I leave you with this final thought: My peers and I began the McNair Summer Research Program as privileged scholars and mentees. Now, we are leaving with the recognition that privilege means responsibility.

Thank you all very much.