Southeast Missouri State University is home to two federal TRIO programs on campus, Student Support Services and the McNair Scholars Program, both of which exist to provide resources that will help students reach their educational goals as undergraduates preparing for graduate school. The McNair Scholars Program is now accepting applications for membership in the program.

The McNair Scholars Program, according to the organization’s website, was founded by members of Congress in honor of Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair. McNair, after obtaining his doctorate degree in laser physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was selected to be a mission specialist on the U.S. Challenger space shuttle that exploded only moments after its launch in 1986. Following his death, McNair was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, according to the McNair Scholars website. Members of Congress provided the funding for students dedicated to the same level of achievement inspired by the life of McNair.

Active at Southeast since 2003, the McNair Scholars Program offers many benefits to its members, including academic counseling, collaborative faculty/student research, Graduate Record Examination preparation workshops, mentoring experiences with faculty, a paid summer internship/research stipend up to $2,800 and more.

The students are paired with faculty mentors who have the resources they may need to do research in their respective fields, said Monica Barnes, director of the TRIO/McNair Scholars Program.

McNair students meet every other Monday at Kent Library for “McNair Moments” to discuss their research and prepare for their internships.

Students who are eligible for the McNair Scholars Program are first-generation college students whose parents did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher, or they are low-income students, according to federal guidelines. According to the McNair Scholars website, applicants also may be students who are underrepresented in graduate education. Southeast does have a few additional requirements to the program, including a minimum GPA of 3.0, completion of at least 60 credit hours and a commitment to attend graduate school, Barnes said.

“We try to work primarily with juniors and seniors,” Barnes said. “But we also start grooming sophomores.”

Students who come into the program at the same time and go through research together are called “cohorts.” Another goal of the program is to establish friendships among peers through regular cohort meetings, Barnes said.

“My favorite part of the program is the people,” Jo Nell Cougill, a senior in the McNair Scholars Program, said. “The faculty and staff involved are genuinely invested in the growth and development of each student in the program.”

Cougill, a communication studies major, completed her research on the communication techniques used by school districts who were members of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) to distribute concussion awareness materials online to high school athletes, coaches and parents. Cougill’s Southeast faculty mentor has been Avery Henry, assistant professor of communication studies.

“I was reluctant to get involved because I didn’t feel that my field of study was ‘science’ enough,” Cougill said. “However, I quickly found myself surrounded by supportive peers from varying fields of study.”

The McNair Scholars Program operates at more than 150 institutions across the United States. At Southeast, only 26 students are able to participate in the organization at any given time.

Students who are interested in applying for the McNair Scholars Program may complete the preliminary application online or visit the TRIO/McNair Scholars Program office in the University Center.

“I am so thankful that I have been able to experience the fullness of the program since I started my junior year,” Cougill said. “The application is free, so there’s no reason not to see if you meet the qualifications.”

For more information on how to apply for the McNair Scholars Program, visit www.semo.edu/mcnair/how-to-apply. For more information on the McNair Scholars Program, visit http://mcnairscholars.com/.