“I came to GVSU as a transfer student, which meant that I didn't have any connections prior to stepping onto campus. The process of engaging with undergraduate research helped me connect with some amazing peers and mentors. Working with the faculty in my department and with OURS helped me feel like I had a home here.”

“I never sought out research experience as an undergraduate, at least not initially. My first experience with research was from my qualitative research methods class with Dr. Campbell of the sociology department. At the end of the semester, she encouraged me to submit my project to present at a regional sociology organization that was having their conference in Grand Rapids. After talking with Dr. Campbell more about my interests and career goals, I decided that undergraduate research was a good opportunity. Really, I wanted to learn more about my experience as a First-Generation College Student. The process of undergraduate research has been incredibly meaningful to me and has helped me trust my own voice more. As a result of my experiences in undergraduate research, I will be traveling to Montréal in August to present my work at the American Sociological Association's Annual Meeting.”

Louis Cousino is a Sociology major and Applied Statistics minor who will graduate in December of 2024. He has participated in the McNair Scholars Program, offered by the Federal TRIO Programs, and has worked closely with OURS as a Student Ambassador and an Undergraduate Research Assistant. Louis has also received assistance from the Academic Conference Fund and has participated in Student Scholars Day and the Undergraduate Research Fair.

“I’ve been immensely impacted by McNair both personally and professionally. In my professional life, McNair positioned me to consider graduate school in the first place as well as enter grad school already having primary research experience. Additionally, through McNair I was able to disseminate my research at the Midwest Sociological Conference in 2022. Having MSS be my first ‘big-girl’ conference was intimidating at the time since I was still in undergrad, but it also made presenting my work much less intimidating for me going forward.” 

“The McNair programing, along with all my mentors (Dr. Mendoza, Dr. Martin, Dr. Stewart, and Dr. Bair) helped me grow into a much more confident scholar. I entered the program extremely shy and unsure of myself with a constant worry of coming across as unintelligent; I left the program learning how to combat imposter syndrome and understanding there isn’t a single person alive who knows everything; and I truly don’t think I would have gotten that lesson without the program.”

“I chose to engage in research because I wanted to know if my experiences were common and could be explained and validated through data, then if I could use that data to find common threads and begin to trace back to the root of the issue. I feel the dissemination of research, really academia as a whole, is inaccessible. While I understand it is elitist by design, I take great pride in creating and disseminating research that is digestible for most people rather than a select few.”

Amber Anderson (M.A.) was a McNair Scholar at Grand Valley State University who graduated with a major in Sociology in April 2022. Post-grad, she went on to Wayne State University as a Dean’s Diversity Fellow, receiving her Master of Arts in Sociology this past May, with her thesis investigating the effectiveness of uniforms opposed to a dress code within schools. Amber will be continuing at WSU in the fall to work towards earning her doctorate degree.