CHAPTER 1-HOW WE GOT HERE
10-25-2022
LAST EDITED ON DEC. 12, 2022
THE BEGINNING OF THE McNAIR JOURNEY
The introduction for every story will always vary on the writer. Some will start with a simple way to introduce characters. Others will jump into the climax without developing the plot. When you look at my story, my introduction to the Ronald E. McNair program is not what some will say is "common." My name is David Evbayekha (pronounced ay-VAH-yay-hah/A-"Vi"-yay-ha. Yes, it is not common for most people. However, once you slow down, it is not a common name for most people down, you will start to say my last name correctly).
Let me explain how I got started with the McNair program. In my third semester attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), I got an email from one of my psychology professors about joining the McNair program. My professor kept talking about how this program offers a variety of resources to help undergraduate students to get into graduate schools. My goal now is to go into pre-occupational therapy (Pre-OT). UWEC currently does not offer a master's program for UWEC. However, the institution does provide various ways for students to prepare for graduate schooling. With the McNair program, the course is predominantly research-based. I knew that taking this opportunity would work for me when applying for graduate schools. Not only will the McNair program help me learn about graduate schools, but the program will help me create a brand that will provide an opportunity to stand out against other applicants that will also apply to graduate schools.
PICTURE OF DAVID EVBAYEKHA, A 1ST-YEAR McNAIR SCHOLAR. Photo by Shane A Opatz, UWEC photo
MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF RESEARCH
10-25-2022 (l ( to gain significant experience designing an independent research project. The last time I did something related to a research project before coming to college was doing lab reports for my High School Biology classes. With the McNair program, having the chance to make my study helps reassure me that I can produce a product that represents me when it comes time to apply for graduate schools. For my topic, I will explore the relationship between psychology, and I pick this topic as I am currently studying neuroscience with a minor degree in psychology at UWEC. In addition, I have personal experience with being affected by music as I have always had music for most of my life. It was not a challenging idea to pair psychology and music together. What I want to do for my research is to show people that music is more than listening to noticeable chords and tunes. Music has therapeutic and scientific values that not many people know about in today's society.
THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGE OF FINDING MY McNAIR MENTOR
PICTURE OF DR. JEFFREY GOODMAN, DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE. UWEC photo
What came to be a challenge for me was finding a mentor that could assist me in the McNair program. Having already had my topic down for my McNair research, I wanted to build on the momentum by finding a professor who knows about various psychology and music studies. I first went to my McNair advisors to see if they knew any professors who recognized any research on the relationship between psychology and music. Unfortuntunealty, both of the McNair advisors could not think of anyone that is well-knowledged in that area of study. After talking to my McNair advisors, I went to my neuroscience professors to see if any of them did any research that included psychology. Sadly, I came up short again in my findings. The process of finding a mentor kept getting difficult as a significant number of professors needed more information regarding my specific topic. I wanted to keep my idea on the relationship between psychology and music as the essential part of my being in the McNair program is to do a study that will highlight my skills and interest. Due to my high values and morals, I knew that doing a generic topic-based research project would be a challenging experience. I went to see one of my coworkers for help finding a college mentor.
My coworker did not do the McNair program during her time at UWEC. However, she did know more psychology professors than me. After hearing about my struggles finding a McNair mentor, my coworker showed me a list of all psychology professors. During that time, she told me about Dr. Jeffrey Goodman. Dr. Goodman is not only a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, but he is also the department chair of psychology. My coworker told me to reach out to him as he would be the best person that knows anyone familiar with studies of music and psychology. I was pleased that Dr. Goodman took my broad idea into many opportunities where I could do research. I got various ways to make my idea into real life from Dr. Goodman, and I also enjoyed the energetic and knowledgeable persona that Dr. Goodman displayed at the meeting. As soon as the session ended, I gave Dr. Goodman the papers he needed to fill out to become my McNair mentor.