A Word from the Program Director
I received my Bachelors of Arts in Strategic Communication from the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State in 2008 and completed a Masters of Public Administration in 2012. I began working for TRIO in the Communication Upward Bound (CUB) program in 2008 when Dr. Amy Lauters, a professor of mine, wrote a successful Upward Bound grant and recruited me to staff the program. As a first generation student, the mission and goals of TRIO resonated with me. I joined McNair as program counselor for the McNair Scholars Program in 2014 and have enjoyed the opportunity to continue assisting students in pursuit of their higher education goals.
I have worked in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations, including the Wichita Children’s Home Street Outreach Program. As part of my graduate work, I secured funding for Child Start’s Health Literacy program through a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.
The work that TRIO does has an important and positive impact on the wider community. It is essential that underrepresented students are allowed access and are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in higher education. The McNair program is particularly integral to this goal as McNair Scholars go on to be role models within the field of academia and become living proof that higher education is attainable for all students. I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational psychology and have gained a new appreciation and for the struggles of educational pursuit.
Ashley Cervantes