香港六合彩开奖结果

Summer 2021 触听By Robert Stephens

As director of UCF鈥檚 academic advancement programs, Michael Aldarondo-Jeffries has attended his share of graduation ceremonies. At one, however, he came not as a UCF staff member but as a guest. Next to him sat his host, the mother of a graduate, squeezing Aldarondo-Jeffries鈥� hand so tightly that his fingers turned white. Through tears, the mother said of her daughter, 鈥淟ook at her. A first-generation college graduate. First generation. Do you know what this means?鈥�

And then, over and over, she whispered loud enough for Aldarondo-Jeffries to hear, 鈥淵ou did this for her. You did this for us.鈥�

As the daughter, Geena Ildefonso 鈥�15, walked up to accept her diploma, she was also en route to her next stop: Vanderbilt, where she鈥檚 nearing completion of her doctorate in biochemistry. It is not overly dramatic to say there鈥檚 no telling where Ildefonso would be if she hadn鈥檛 walked into Aldarondo-Jeffries鈥� office as a UCF undergraduate.

鈥淚 was working two jobs, coping with the fact my dad had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, and my grades were suffering because I couldn鈥檛 handle it all,鈥� Ildefonso says.

Bhimsen Shivamoggi, 香港六合彩开奖结果 professor of mathematics, told Ildefonso something she didn鈥檛 expect to hear: that she鈥檇 be great at mathematical modeling for biomedical research.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what that even means,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t means,鈥� Shivamoggi explained, 鈥測ou could be a candidate for a Ph.D.鈥�

Ildefonso didn鈥檛 know what that meant either. She was the first in her family to go to college, which, until she arrived at UCF, was also an ethereal concept 鈥� college. Her affinity for math only pushed her deeper into obscurity because there were so few women majoring in the subject.

Shivamoggi walked Ildefonso over to the McNair Scholars office and introduced her to Aldarondo-Jeffries.

鈥淲hen Michael asked me what I wanted to do, I broke down,鈥� says Ildefonso. 鈥淣obody had really asked me that. I had so much going on and told him, 鈥業f I could just focus on my academics and learn about research 鈥︹�� 鈥�

Aldarondo-Jeffries recognized a star in his presence. He also knew more questions loomed: What if she can鈥檛 focus on her academics? What will happen to this untapped brilliance?

鈥淗e made some calls and helped me find a paid research position on campus,鈥� says Ildefonso. 鈥淚鈥檇 never heard of the , but that鈥檚 what opened a future for me.鈥�

Ildefonso is now one of more than 200 UCF graduates who have completed or are working toward their postgraduate degrees at the world鈥檚 most prestigious universities because of the McNair program. Prior to applying for a spot in the program, most of the students didn鈥檛 know what it looked like to 鈥渄o research鈥� or for people from their backgrounds to have a career in academia.

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I鈥檓 often reminded of the sacrifice that the parents of my students make every day so their children can dream with other big dreamers.

Natalia Leal Toro 鈥�17EdD, assistant director of academic advancement programs

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鈥淚 met Geena in 2015 but wasn鈥檛 aware of her backstory until now,鈥� says Don C. Brunson, assistant dean of Vanderbilt University Graduate School. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 pursue her as a gesture of sympathy. What we saw was an ambitious researcher who鈥檇 been prepared to succeed. That鈥檚 what sets UCF鈥檚 McNair Scholars apart: grit and determination.鈥�

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and offered at 151 institutions across the nation, the McNair Scholars Program helps prepare first-generation and traditionally underrepresented college students for doctoral studies. UCF鈥檚 program has become the model of 鈥渨hat could be鈥� for underrepresented communities in higher learning.

鈥淭he name 鈥楳cNair Scholar鈥� has opened so many doors for me,鈥� says Melonie Williams-Sexton 鈥�07, who became UCF鈥檚 first McNair Scholar to earn her Ph.D. in 2013. 鈥淚t becomes like a secret code word. The people who run the program at 香港六合彩开奖结果 provide a pathway we didn鈥檛 know existed.鈥�

Natalia Leal Toro 鈥�17EdD had worked in various roles at other colleges before working with the UCF McNair program as assistant director of academic advancement programs. She has very personal reasons for calling it the most rewarding job she could ever imagine. 鈥淭hese students are capable of thriving academically,鈥� Leal Toro says, 鈥渂ut they need a support system to guide them through challenges.鈥�

Sometimes a student can鈥檛 focus because there鈥檚 a child to support or a family member is seriously ill. At the same time, the student cannot ignore this expanding reservoir of academic curiosity. Many people in their community have not completed college, let alone grad school, so who can relate to the value of this distant concept known as postgraduate research?

鈥淚鈥檓 often reminded of the sacrifice that the parents of my students make every day so their children can dream with other big dreamers,鈥� Leal Toro says.

This is where it becomes personal for Leal Toro. Raised in Colombia, she came to the U.S. at age 11 with her parents. With their encouragement and her own self-discipline, Leal Toro became a first-generation college graduate. But the piece of paper she received on graduation day left her with a difficult reality check: This diploma has been my singular focus, and I have no idea what I鈥檓 supposed to do next.

鈥淚鈥檝e been on the same journey as many students who are driven by the deep sense of responsibility to give back to their families and communities,鈥� Leal Toro says.聽鈥淭hey鈥檙e brilliant. They just need to be part of a community that understands their burning desire to grow in knowledge and that guides them towards their goals.鈥�

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I鈥檓 not shy about telling everyone that UCF is the gold standard for the McNair program.

Anitra Douglas-McCarthy, senior director of recruitment at Cornell

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And that鈥檚 the power of UCF鈥檚 deep base of McNair Scholars.

鈥淲hat they have at UCF is the national model,鈥� says Damon Lewis Williams, assistant dean of diversity and inclusion at Northwestern University. 鈥淚 travel the country to recruit graduate students for our research programs, but I know the McNair Scholars from UCF will come with extra layers of readiness for the rigors of a Ph.D. program. Everyone in the country knows it, so we have to compete for [UCF students].鈥�

UCF鈥檚 McNair Scholars are courted by institutions like MIT, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford and Cornell. Some choose to continue their academic pursuits at UCF. Whether they stay or go, they never completely leave UCF鈥檚 McNair family. They refer to Aldarondo-Jeffries and Leal Toro as 鈥渕y academic dad and mom.鈥� They call 鈥渉ome鈥� on a regular basis. And they become big brothers and sisters to current UCF students in the program.

鈥淚鈥檓 not shy about telling everyone that UCF is the gold standard for the McNair program,鈥� says Anitra Douglas-McCarthy, senior director of recruitment at Cornell. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e built a real community of current and former scholars. When students come here from UCF, we know they鈥檒l have the two qualities necessary to be a successful graduate student: They鈥檙e resilient and resourceful.鈥�

Deans from around the country and the world find Aldarondo-Jeffries at conferences or they call to ask him how they can build a pipeline McNair program like UCF鈥檚.

鈥淭he truth is, there鈥檚 no formula or software to make it happen,鈥� says Aldarondo-Jeffries. 鈥淚t takes people who are willing to invest in each student鈥檚 life, to listen to their challenges and to coach them. For Dr. Toro and me, our work always hits very close to home.鈥�

Aldarondo-Jeffries mentions his two children, and how he wants for them what any parent wants: opportunities to grow. Leal Toro talks about watching her son鈥檚 kindergarten teacher in an online lesson say something as simple as, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e doing a great job.鈥�

鈥淭hose few words make my son realize he doesn鈥檛 have to be perfect,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 smart. He鈥檚 valued. That鈥檚 what Michael and I get to do every day for students who will someday cure viruses and explore the limits of space.鈥�

The McNair family of students will also influence the communities where their journeys started: low-income and underserved neighborhoods where just one postgraduate degree can show young students how far school can take them.

鈥淛ust like an athlete who goes on to fame, they become all-stars in their communities,鈥� says Aldarondo-Jeffries. 鈥淭hey show everyone what is possible with advanced education.鈥�

The father of one recent Ph.D. recipient was inspired enough to enter college decades after putting his own academic dream on hold. After watching her daughter fall in love with research, the mother of another McNair Scholar is looking to enroll at UCF and start her own journey. More bright stars ready to emerge.

鈥淪tories like those,鈥� says Aldarondo-Jeffries, 鈥渁re what excite me when I wake up every morning.

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5 Standouts in UCF鈥檚 McNair Family

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