A video celebrating the success of Augsburg’s TRIO McNair Scholars alumni will be released during an event from 3 to 5 p.m. October 23.
More details are to come about the video release event during Augsburg’s sesquicentennial celebration.
The alumni featured are Trevor Rodriguez-Sotelo ’13; Magaly Ortiz Aucapipa ’14, and Diamonique Walker ’16. Rodriguez-Sotelo went on to complete a Master of Science degree in automotive engineering from Clemson University. Ortiz Aucapipa is pursuing a PhD in Hispanic & Lusophone Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics at the University of Minnesota. Walker is pursuing a PhD in Educational Psychology Quantitative Methods at the University of Minnesota.
Annually, 26 Augsburg students participate in the McNair Scholars Program, a federal TRIO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The goal is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society; either first-generation college students with financial need, and/or members of a group underrepresented in graduate education.
McNair participants demonstrate strong academic potential and prepare for graduate study through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The McNair Scholars Program was created by the U.S. Congress in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the astronaut and physicist who was among the first African Americans in the space program. McNair lost his life in the Challenger space shuttle disaster.