Some of the 17 ARC/Sally Casanova scholars pose with Graduate Division staff: Walter Boggan, top right; Roxanna Quach, lower right; and Mario Galicia, center foreground. Photo credit: Dr. Anna Everett
Seventeen undergraduate students from across the country had the unique opportunity this summer to explore their disciplines through mentored research experiences and receive graduate school preparation as scholars in the Academic Research Consortium/Sally Casanova Scholar Program.
The eight-week program, organized by the Graduate Division, brought together undergrads with the potential to succeed in graduate study, but who have experienced situations or conditions that have hindered advancement in their fields of study. These talented and motivated students benefited from the encouragement, scholarly research support, and mentorship available through the program.
The students came from such states as Michigan, South Carolina, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Washington, New Jersey, and New York. And several of them were from UC Santa Barbara and elsewhere in California.
Besides the pursuit of research under the guidance of UCSB faculty and grad student mentors, the scholars also attended weekly professional development workshops on such topics as GRE preparation, “outside the box” Ph.D. careers, and building a digital reputation.
Walter Boggan, Graduate Division’s Director of Admissions & Outreach, proclaimed the summer program “a huge success,” for both the student participants and UCSB.
“The Academic Research Consortium program was a great recruiting and outreach tool to promote graduate studies here at UC Santa Barbara,” Boggan said. “Seventeen rising seniors with diverse backgrounds from across the nation were given an opportunity to perform scholarly research across many disciplines at one of the top academic institutions in the U.S., if not the world. I’m sure our location between the Santa Ynez Mountains and Pacific Ocean left a positive impression on our scholars as well.”
Boggan said the scholars “were provided with a wonderful research experience to prepare them for graduate school while UC Santa Barbara faculty and graduate student mentors honed their skills in providing guidance to these scholars.”
The program also stressed work-life balance, which meant getting out of the classroom, library, or lab every now and then for some fun, relaxation, and bonding.
“As important as their research is, everyone deserves some time to get out and breathe some fresh air,” said Mario Galicia, Diversity & Outreach Peer Advisor for the Graduate Division who worked with the ARC scholars. “The idea was to provide the ARC/Sally Casanova scholars with a physical experience of how to approach a healthy and balanced graduate student career,” he said.
Galicia said some of the students had never been to the West Coast and some had never seen the ocean. One student had never eaten a burrito. A trip to Los Angeles gave the scholars a chance to put their research aside for a day. One benefit of the trip, Galicia said, was that it “allowed the scholars to bond in a more personal manner. They began to see themselves as peers and allies instead of competition in their career.”
The summer program concluded with a two-day research symposium in which the scholars presented their work and spoke about their experiences at UCSB. Their research, conducted with the assistance of UCSB grad student mentors, ran the gamut, from politics and media to diversity and domestic violence. A future GradPost article will highlight the important role that graduate student mentors play at the university and beyond.
One of the ARC scholars, Cyrell Roberson from Xavier University in Louisiana, had this to say about his experience in the summer program:
“This past summer was by far the best summer of my life. Participating in UCSB's Academic Research Consortium provided me the opportunity to conduct interesting research in my field with a prominent social psychologist, Dr. Brenda Major, in the beautiful city of Santa Barbara. I gained extensive knowledge in research that definitely made me more competent and confident in conducting independent research. I was lucky enough to participate in a group with other individuals from across the country who have overcome similar adversities but are just as determined and capable of reaching their academic and professional goals. These talented individuals have become some of my closest friends, lifelong friends who I will be able to share incredible memories with – from learning how to surf to skydiving from thousands of feet in the air. Because of the amazing ARC staff, my research mentor and grad student mentor, and my fellow ARC participants, UCSB will always be a place that I call home. After participating in ARC, I now feel prepared to take on the challenges of applying to and successfully completing graduate school and reaching my full potential as a scholar.”
ARC scholars with some of their faculty and grad student mentors. Photo credit: Patricia Marroquin