This spring semester, Abigail Vallance graduated from Aquinas College after successfully completing the McNair Scholars Program, a federally funded TRIO Program designed to prepare eligible students for graduate studies. 

While she is the second Aquinas student to graduate from this program, she is the first to see it from start to finish. Their partnership with Aquinas is new as of 2022, and it’s still growing, with four current scholars enrolled and more anticipated. 

About the McNair Program 

The McNair program—named in honor of Ronald E. McNair, a Physicist and astronaut who died in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion—prepares undergraduates for graduate studies. Their classes teach students how to narrow down their research interests and potential grad programs, earn internships, assistantships, and fellowships, and make faculty connections. 

Students begin this program in their junior year of college, and there’s a “pre-McNair Academy” for freshmen and sophomores. Aquinas students meet in a hybrid format, through Zoom classes, in-person presentations, and program-funded trips. Plus, the McNair staff visits Aquinas monthly for face-to-face connections. 

To qualify for this program, students must be income-eligible, have first-gen status, or belong to an underrepresented population in graduate studies. “I think what’s so impactful is that it opens doors, especially for students who didn’t even think about grad school. It is possible. We can get you there. We can get you funded. Grad school is more real than people think sometimes,” shared Trevor Willis, director of the TRIO McNair Scholars Program. 

McNair also funds the vast majority of expenses related to the program, making it easier for students to meet their goals. 

“One of the biggest perks for McNair, I would say, is that the entire time I was in the program, I never had to pay for any of my expenses,” explained Abbey. “When I would go to conferences and internships or to watch presentations, they would always pay for my airplane travel, my Uber rides, my food, my hotels. I never had to pay for any of it. And then, each semester, you get a stipend based on your participation and grade in the course. So, if you put in the work, you’re going to get that back.” 

Since the cost of graduate school applications is a major entry barrier for many students, McNair also helps with these expenses. 

“When it was time to apply for graduate schools, there was a McNair fee waiver, and I could send it to the school. I didn’t have to actually pay for the applications. I applied to 14 schools, which would have been over $1,000. I only ended up paying, I think, a little over $100 in application fees. So, that right there is significant.” 

Abbey’s McNair Experience

Abbey’s McNair journey began when she met with her TRIO SSS Advisor, Jill Straub, to discuss a shift in her major. Instead of studying business, as she had previously planned, she switched to a sociology major and added psychology. 

She recalled having a lot of confusion and stress over what her life would look like after Aquinas. Because of this, Jill recommended that she look into the McNair program and explained that many students who study sociology also go on to graduate school. 

After a quick interview over Zoom, she was accepted into the program. 

“Without TRIO SSS, I wouldn’t have even heard of the program,” shared Abbey. “Having those resources at Aquinas has been great. They’re there to meet with you, help you navigate college, and help you find programs like these.”   

Abbey began the program as a sophomore, intending to graduate early. She describes how the first few semesters prepare students for internships and research, as well as getting used to the coursework.  “Getting the IRB approval, picking a mentor, writing your literature review, and eventually you’ll start looking for conferences as well,” she explained. 

The idea is that students are prepared for all parts of student life: as an undergraduate student, as a graduate student, and then in their lives after graduation. 

Following this mission, McNair requires cultural immersion experiences. Twice a semester, students are required to engage in some form of cultural exploration, which they then write about for class. For Abbey, this looked like learning more about the history of the Grand Rapids area and visiting Chicago with the art and history department. Beyond these experiences, she was one of 100 selected applicants to participate in a 10-week research project in Arizona while taking two graduate-level courses.   

They also teach students about post-graduate financial literacy. “In the spring semester, we worked on what it means to be an adult in the world,” explained Abbey. “We started focusing on what credit cards are, what a Roth IRA looks like, what you need for retirement, how you calculate the debt you’ve built up, what loans look like, and how much to pay back each month so you’re not in debt for the rest of your life.” 

“It’s definitely the best academic decision I could have made in my career at Aquinas because it set me up so much, especially compared to other students in my field,” she expressed. “Because of the resources that they provided me with, I felt more prepared to graduate and felt confident when submitting my applications and doing my research.”  

What’s Next for Abbey?

This fall, Abbey will pursue her master’s degree in educational psychology, intending to build either a career as a school counselor or college professor. 

She will participate in a McNair fellowship program at Oklahoma State, which will cover the full tuition while she is enrolled in their master’s program. That same program also offers doctoral studies, which Abbey is confident that she’ll be able to qualify for as soon as she has completed her master’s degree. Her director, Trevor Willis, is enrolled at the same university, pursuing his doctorate.

“It really is tremendous that there are McNair fellowships out there for graduate education because it makes education so much more possible for students who don’t have those resources,” she shared. "Just because you may not have had the same head start as those who came from wealth or attended prestigious institutions, McNair makes you work hard to make the most of the opportunities and experiences that are out there so you can succeed."

…And for the McNair Scholars Program? 

Moving forward, Trevor and Abbey are excited to see the McNair Scholars program continue to grow at Aquinas and bring more resources to AQ Saints seeking graduate school. 

Any interested students who may be eligible are invited to connect with the TRIO SSS team at Aquinas and with Trevor Willis.