MC STUDENTS RECEIVE MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS
Two Monmouth College students are the recipients of
Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Minority Students and Academic Careers Summer
Scholarships. Vanessa Armstrong, a senior from Peoria, Ill., and Rebekah McBeth, a junior from
Pleasant Prairie, Wis., will each spend the summer conducting research in their major areas of
study.
"The whole purpose is to encourage minority students to take
up careers as professors," said Stacy Cordery, an associate professor of history at Monmouth
College who served as a mentor for one of last year’s recipients. While many minority
communities are still under-represented on college faculties, the ACM reports that the goals
of its 10-year-old program are beginning to be realized. Of 350 participants in the past
decade, 41 percent are either currently enrolled in or have completed graduate degree
programs.
Cordery added that the work done for the projects "mirrors
the graduate school experience," which includes working closely with a single professor. This
year’s mentors are Jon Grahe, chair of the psychology department, and Tom Sienkewicz, chair of
the Classics department.
The award upon winning the scholarship is $2,000, with
another $1,000 being presented upon completion of the project. Armstrong and McBeth were
required to submit two letters of recommendation and a convincing written proposal about the
seriousness of their subjects.
Armstrong, who is African-American, will focus her research
on trends in film violence, analyzing the content of movies from the past 30 years.
McBeth’s project will delve into her Native American heritage
and will also be influenced by her academic interests, which include religion, communication
and languages. She will study the effects of Christianity on the heritage, values and
tradition of Iroquois society.
The students will present their findings at the ACM’s
Minority Students in Academic Careers conference Oct. 13-14 at St. Olaf College. They will
also be given a chance to present their work on campus and to participate with their mentors
in a teaching experience this fall.
Released
by the Office of College Communications
Barry McNamara, Associate Director of College Communications
Phone: 309-457-2117
Fax: 309-457-2330
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