Indiana University Athletics
Padilla Picked For McNair Scholars Program
6/17/2015 12:23:00 PM | Women's Rowing
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Tatiana Padilla (Munster, Ind.), a junior and novice coxswain on the IU rowing team this past season, was recently accepted into the McNair Scholars Program at Indiana University. The program provides funds for undergraduates that are first generation college students in their family and encourages them to continue their studies towards a graduate or doctorate degrees.
"I anticipate a lot of hard work ahead, but the opportunity to pursuing a Ph.D. was never an option for me in my mind. This program has given my academic career a launching pad. I am on pace to finish my bachelor's degree in the Spring of 2016 - a year earlier than expected - and will look to start my Ph.D. in the Fall of 2017."
Padilla graduated from Munster (Ind.) High School as semester early with an honors diploma. She is currently involved with the Civic Leaders LLC, Indiana University Student Association, IU student government and is a Law and Public Policy undergraduate assistant all while maintaining her commitments with the IU rowing program.
With a major in Law and Public Policy and working towards a minor in Spanish, Padilla is also looking to receive her Certificate in Applied Research and Inquiry before pursuing her Ph.D. in Law and Social Sciences or a similar field.
"As a walk-on to our program, Tatiana has been dedicated to learning an entirely new sport while thriving academically," Indiana rowing head coach Steve Peterson said. "In addition to rowing, Tatiana is involved in several other organizations on campus as well as holding a job. Given the effort she has put forth as a walk-on coxswain, we are delighted yet not surprised, that she has been accepted into such a distinguished program. We are looking forward to all of Tatiana's future successes on the water, in the classroom, and post-graduation."
The McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRIO program funded at 200 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.
McNair participants are either first-generation college students with financial need, or members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education and have demonstrated strong academic potential. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society.
According to the U.S. Department of Education website, funds are awarded, through a grant competition, to prepare eligible participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Participants are from disadvantaged backgrounds and have demonstrated strong academic potential. Institutions work closely with participants as they complete their undergraduate requirements. Institutions encourage participants to enroll in graduate programs and then track their progress through to the successful completion of advanced degrees. The goal is to increase the attainment of Ph.D. degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.
About Ronald McNair
Ronald E. McNair was born October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. He received his B.S. in physics from North Carolina A&T State University in 1971 and his Ph.D. in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. In 1978, he was chosen by NASA as an astronaut candidate, and he flew his first mission on February 3, 1984. McNair, along with his six crewmates, died in the Space Shuttle Challenger accident on January 28, 1986. In 2004, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
