One thing that caught me off guard with the McNair program is how much they support you emotionally and how much confidence they give you. The McNair program has shaped me into a more candidate that graduate schools want to have.

My experience in the program has exposed me to professional development in a scale that I don't really see across the university. My favorite experience in the program would be getting to meet and talk to the other scholars. It is a very valuable experience having people who come from different backgrounds who may not have the exact same interest and topic that you do, but they have the same motivation and passion.

I found a lot of support and encouragement that I did not find anywhere else. I am so thankful for it. It's just a really cool connection that I was able to build in the program. I think my confidence has definitely come from my experiences, and definitely, that would not have happened without the McNair program.

As a member of a generally underrepresented minority group in academia, I am fortunate enough to be a part of such an immersive program. I love how this program is not only geared towards professionalism and graduate school, but it also aims to focus on us hollistically as students, as our needs are really important to the program.