USD Honors Legacy of Astronaut Ronald E. McNair with Third Annual Celebration

The University of San Diego celebrated its third annual Ronald E. McNair Day on October 21 at the Garden of the Sea, drawing approximately 60 attendees to honor the late NASA astronaut and the scholars who carry on his legacy through the federally-funded TRIO McNair Scholars Program.

This year’s celebration held special meaning as it coincided with what would have been Dr. McNair’s 75th birthday. Tables throughout the event featured inspirational quotes from McNair, including his reminder that, “Whether or not you reach your goals in life depends entirely on how well you prepare for them and how badly you want them. You're eagles! Stretch your wings and fly to the sky.”

During the past 21 years, USD’s McNair Scholars Program has supported 271 students, with an impressive 69 percent of alumni earning graduate degrees.

The program welcomed back two distinguished alumni speakers: Miranda Statton St. Fleur '13 (PhD) who delivered the keynote address on her academic and professional journey from USD to Stanford; and Olabanji Adeniranye '10 (PsyD) who emphasized the importance of self-care and community in academia.

“One of the greatest joys of McNair is that we work with high-achieving students across all disciplines," said Director of TRIO McNair Scholars Sarah Castillo '03 (MA). "We serve a cohort of 20 scholars, and to be eligible you must hold a 3.0 minimum GPA, provide a faculty letter of recommendation and a personal statement of interest, and be first-generation to college and come from a low-income background. As first-gen and low-income students, graduate school is often not even on the radar, and if it is, the path there can be winding and murky. Through professional development workshops, faculty mentorship, research experience, and holistic support, the McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduates for immediate matriculation into graduate schools after USD with the ultimate goal of diversifying the professoriate.”

— USD News Center