Chelsea Cohen (she/her) is a graduating McNair Scholar who double majors in public policy and sociology. This past summer, she researched sex education policies in relation to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, developing what she calls an Inter-culturally Competent Sex Education Framework. On campus, she has served as a student leader during her time as a Social Justice Peer Educator, a Peer Education & Assessment Intern, Career Access & Mobility Consultant with the Career Center, and a Center for Intercultural Engagement Associate. As a 4+1 student at UD, Chelsea will complete her graduate school experience next May with a Masters in Urban Affairs & Public Policy. She hopes to research policies and initiatives put in place to support the retention of Black students in higher education.

She chose her international relations and European studies majors under the guidance of her mentors. She was super interested in Europe and how states interact with each other. Her specific research interest is Eastern Europe and how Putin and Stalin interact. She has completed a senior thesis as well as interned with the State Department during her time at UD. Her future goal is to attend law school after receiving her Masters from the University of Washington, after starting in the fall.

Alyssa Gorton is graduating with a BA in Anthropology, having double-minored in history and museum studies. She studied abroad in the fall of her sophomore year in Athens, Greece, and then again in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the spring of her junior year. During her time at UD, she researched under Dr. Carla Guerron-Montero with the McNair Program, worked for the Biden Institute’s Center for Historic Architecture and Design, and conducted an internship at the George Read House & Gardens. Her next steps will be pursuing a master’s degree in history with a concentration in museum studies; she hopes to go on and work in museums and cultural resource or collections management.

Erlande is an Education Major with a concentration in Teaching English as a Second language and a Minor in HDFS. She chose this major because she finds joy in helping children learn and grow. She also wants to make a difference in the students’ lives. The major gives her an opportunity to instill a love of learning, foster curiosity, and build essential skills that will serve students throughout their lives. Her specific area of interest is studying the different methods, interventions, or programs that are effective in helping elementary students including MLLs’ mental health.  She was a Mcnair Scholar for the summer of 23-24 and had student teaching experience in various elementary schools in New Castle County.  During her time at UD she entered a mentoring program serving as a mentor, tutor, and a support system for high school students from 9-12 grade; she felt this allowed her to gain some volunteering and practical experiences. She also held a leadership position in a student organization called ASPIRE. In the future, Erlande plans on earning a Master’s Degree in school counseling, hoping to play a role in supporting the academic, social, and emotional development of students.

Jada is a Psychology Major at the University of Delaware. She is a first-generation college student and an Associates in Arts Alumna. During her two years on campus, she has had the honor of not only being inducted as a McNair Scholar but also serving as Vice President of We’re First, the first-generation college student organization on campus. Thanks to her time at McNair she was able to make valuable connections and take the proper steps necessary for graduate school. To date she has worked as a Research Assistant for The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up Lab and The Health Psychology & Neurobehavioral Research group. Thanks to her mentors and their guidance, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus in Neuropsychology. In terms of future plans, she hopes to make a difference in healthcare by adding to the number of Black Psychologists in the field while also expanding psychological research in Jamaica.

Ariel Grier is a graduating psychology student. She chose psychology as her major because she was intrigued by the human mind and what causes people to behave or think the way that they do. Ariel wants to specialize in child psychology because she believes that children’s capabilities are greater than we may give them credit for and that they should be treated accordingly and handled with care. During her time with McNair, Ariel sought to research something relating to both psychology and children, as she aspires to be a child psychologist. After graduating, Ariel plans to take a year off before returning to school to complete either a Ph.D program or hopefully a PsyD program. During the year off, she hopes to earn some experience within the psychology field.

Jazmine chose to pursue Cognitive Science due to her interest in language, communication, and diverse experiences. Speech-language pathology was the perfect career choice for her, as she has always felt a calling to healthcare professions. Jazmine’s McNair research focused on special education, public policy and service delivery, and hazardous weather events. During her time at UD, Jazmine has served as a teaching assistant, peer mentor, National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion co-founder and co-chair all during her time at UD. Jazmine plans to receive a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Delaware, where she also hopes to continue her research. From there, she aspires to become a fully licensed, practicing clinician who gives back to the communities she serves while promoting change within the field of speech-language pathology itself

Johana chose Speech-Language pathologist because she saw potential in her being able to make a change in the field by adding herself to the 8% of Latinos in the field. She also believed she could make an impact on people’s lives since she could work with babies up to the geriatric population. She also has first-hand experiences due to family members’ health issues and she quickly the benefits Speech therapy could make in a person’s life. Johana is interested in research dealing with children and bilingualism, as well as any research dealing with seizures and Dementia. Johana loves research and she hopes to continue doing research in the future. She had the privilege to work as a Research assistant at the SLAM Research Lab from the fall of her junior year up until the spring of her graduation year. Her future goals and aspirations are to make a change in her community by being able to provide affordable therapy, as well as to help Spanish-speaking families whose children can’t receive services due to language barriers. Johana hopes to be an advocate for other underrepresented populations by providing them with much-needed services. She aspires to do private practice and open her center in the future. Johana is pursuing an MA in Communication Sciences and Disorder, at the University of Delaware.

Geraldine’s major is Elementary Education with a concentration in English as a Second Language (ESL). As a Mexican-American, Spanish was her first language and she often struggled with learning basic concepts delivered in English. With the aid of her teachers, she successfully learned the English language while discovering her passion for becoming an educator. The language barrier between her teachers and her family was always an issue. Due to their lack of educational opportunities, that was one of her motives for going into education. Her mother did not continue her education beyond the sixth grade and her father dropped out of high school due to financial circumstances. It was ingrained in her parents to prioritize education in order to make ends meet. Their sacrifices have made her realize the privilege it was to receive a teaching degree. Moving forward, she will find joy in being fortunate enough to speak the same language as her students. She dreams that she will be the voice that will be necessary to break those barriers. She loves researching different languages in terms of how children acquire multiple languages. Or even researching the educational, language, and stigma that first-generation college students, like herself face at a higher-level educational institution. Her past academic experiences were student teaching abroad in Sevilla, Spain at an international immersion school. Along with being an orientation leader in 2022 and a 1743 Welcome Ambassador. She has participated in multiple student-led organizations such as We’re First, SSSP, ASPIRE, HOLA, and a program called Teachers of Tomorrow. All of these have led her to take part in wonderful experiences toward expanding my educational background. Her future aspirations are to one day teach English aboard! In the long run, she wants to work at a college institution where she can help first-generation college students navigate a collegiate level in hopes of obtaining a higher level of education. After graduating she is taking a year off to work on getting into the right head space for her first year of teaching. Her dream for the past two years is to obtain her graduate degree in Leadership and Educational Policy. Or in other graduate programs that go with Bilingual Education. Although she is not 100% sure where life will take her, she is positive that life will all line up.