In Memory of Dr. Ronald McNair

Today was historically significant in the history of my life as well as the history of the United States. Dr. Ronald E. McNair and fellow crew members died when the Challenger space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch. Even though I was 6 yrs old in 1986 when the Challenger destructed, one of astronauts will forever be a hero to me. Dr McNair was the inspiration for the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, a federally funded (TRIO) grant program for high-achieving undergraduate students underrepresented at the doctoral level. The McNair Program at University of South Florida (USF) paired me with MIS & Business research mentors and helped me gain access into my graduate school network through which I attained my MBA.

Dr. McNair was truly a Renaissance man, and the world is better because of enterprising men like him. At a time when White America was still struggling with Civil Rights laws, integration of public schools, and accepting Blacks as more than just second-class citizens, Dr. McNair was a research scientist, pioneering astronaut, family man, jazz musician, karate expert, and a good Christian. Dr. McNair was a genius, was the first African American to gain his PhD/Physics at MIT as well as 3 other honorary doctorates. My favorite quote by Dr. McNair was made before the Massachusetts State Legislature regarding education, "I believe that in our urban and rural cities there are great minds and talents with hands that can control a spacecraft with the same dexterity that they control and handle a basketball. These talents must not be wasted."

A major positive experience that led to my success in business school was my research training through the McNair Scholars Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at USF. I had the opportunity to learn research methods and study with leading scholars in my field prior to enrolling in business school. Another positive experience was the unofficial orientation to my graduate programs provided by fellow scholars who were already enrolled in graduate school.

Twelve fellow Scholars and I were inducted into the 1999-2001/2002 cohort at University of South Floirda. All of us were already honors students and involved in campus & community leadership. The Program made our certain path to success straighter by providing us with a network of grad school contacts and scholarship/fellowship information from all over the country. The biggest value of the Program was that staff such as Dr. Joan Holmes taught us HOW to navigate the grad school applications process which can take a year or more of time. As well, students have the chance to be published in national academic research journals and present work at national conferences depending on the quality of research. This research experience is extremely important because it disseminates graduate level research methods which are necessary for earning one's future graduate degree. When I started grad school, I had no problem adjusting to "real" research because I had already learned these skills in the McNair Program.

The program also assists Scholars with a stipend every semester. Also, there is an opportunity to qualify for and attend the McNair Summer Research Institute which I also attended. It is at this time that students at the University of South Florida (other Programs may differ in their curriculum) take 3 senior level research classes (my classes were Research Technical Writing, Independent Research, & Research Design) and begin work with their Research Mentor (unless they have already begun research through the Honors Program in which case this research is continued) as a Research Intern which is similar to a Research Assistant (RA) position. My Research/Role Model Mentor and I conducted a study, "Burnout: A Mediator Between Role Stress Fit and Satisfaction and Commitment? (2001)" for which I won Superior Research recognition as well as the opportunity for both of us to present at state and national research conferences. Another benefit of the Summer Institute is the graduate prep classes, which are offered to give students test preparation and waivers for the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, etc.

Yet another benefit was access to a private computer lab with brand new state-of-the art equipment including new Toshiba laptops which students could use not only for their Honors and McNair Scholars coursework but also for their major coursework. Resume building was also encouraged with the "average" Scholar involved in community service, honor societies and student organizations, the arts, or other extracurricular activities, and opportunity to compete for travel to research symposiums at USF and other host universities.

As the saying by Sir Isaac Newton goes, "If I have seen further [than certain other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." and for at least 13 of us, and many thousands of current honors students and alumni of the 160 partner colleges & universities, we all stand on Dr. Ronald E. McNair's larger-than-life shoulders!