CHAPTER 4-CONNECTIONS
07-19-2023
UNDERSTAND THE BASICS
Earlier this month, I got to have a lovely conversation with one of my McNair directors at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC). His name is Dr. Joseph Orser. Last year, he joined the McNair program after my former director, Dr. Ka Vang, accepted a position at the City of Eau Claire-City Hall. Dr. Orser and I are still taking the time to learn about each other's backgrounds in research and other general details about ourselves. However, this positive respect for one another allows us to reach the middle ground. During our discussion, we talked about what I wanted my topic to be for my latest blog. I told him I wanted to focus this chapter on making connections at research conferences and how people use connections daily. Dr. Orser was on board with my idea as he told me about an article onresearch conferences.
PICTURE OF DR. JOSEPH ORSER, DIRECTOR OF THE RONALD E. McNAIR PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE. UWEC photo
To phrase Dr. Orser during our conversation, "If you think the purpose for you is to present your presentation for fifteen minutes and stay in your hotel after your presentation, then you are doing it wrong." Dr. Orser means that when you go to research conferences, you want to use that opportunity to build multiple connections from various backgrounds. Does that sound intimidating? Yes. Considering that I am still new to research, it would not make sense to lie to you and say that creating multiple networks will be an effortless process when you are first starting in this field. In addition, as someone that has Social Anxiety Disorder, that is another reason I want to be personable with you if you are trying to figure out where to build connections while understanding that it takes time to create professional and well-meaning connections.
MY FIRST RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Earlier this year, several of my fellow UWEC McNair scholars and I got to go to Maryland to attend the University of Maryland McNair Scholars Conference. During this conference, we got to listen to various guest speakers, listen and observe multiple poster and oral presentations from other collegiate McNair scholars. On the first day of the live conference, I was overwhelmed. Being at events when there are a massive number of people stresses me to the point where I mentally shut down to protect myself from breaking down crying in a public venue. I also dealt with some personal issues at UWEC before traveling to Maryland.
(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) PICTURE OF CARAY BRANNON (OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY/OSU), KIMBERLY S. HERNANDEZ (UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-LAS VEGAS/UNLV), AND DAVID EVBAYEKHA (UWEC) AT THE COLLEGE PARK MARRIOTT HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND McNAIR SCHOLARS CONFERENCE. Photo via Caray Brannon
During the lunch session, I went outside to allow my brain to lower its stress levels. While eating my food, two girls from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) invited me to eat with them. Considering we were the only ones outside the conference hall, I felt calm as I could handle being in a setting with a few people. The two girls are named Kimberly S. Hernandez (shown in the middle of the photo; Kimberly's pronouns are she/her) and Medina Mcallister (Medina uses she/her for her pronouns). They were very friendly and sweet to me during our conversation. We talked about the research we were all doing and non-research-related materials (i.e., discussing doing the Fine Arts when we were all younger). Before our lunch ended, Kimberly and Medina shared their social contacts with me. Later that evening, the three of us met at the University of Maryland's "TERPZONE,"-a massive ground area that combined a game room, a bowling alley, and a mega TV screen for sports games. Kimberly and Medina introduced me to their other friends whom they had also met at the McNair Conference, including their friend Caray Brannon (Caray uses They/them for their pronouns), shown in the left of the photo, who goes to Oklahoma State University (OSU). After hanging out at the "TERPZONE," Kimberly, Medina, Caray, and I went to get food, and Bobba drinks at a local Bobba shop. At the Bobba shop, I got to meet Caray's twin sister, Corey Brannon (Corey goes to OSU and uses she/they for their pronouns), and their friend, Mary Vang (Mary goes to OSU and uses she/her for her pronouns). These are the people that I spent most of my time with while I was in Maryland. We would always sit together at the conference for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. After we listened to the presentations, we went to various places in the Maryland and Washington D.C. area, like the Smithsonian Museum and the memorial of Martin Luther King Jr. Looking back at my Maryland trip, I am grateful for myself when I accepted Kimberly and Medina's invitation to eat lunch with them. Had I not chosen not to eat with them, I would not have met Caray, Corey, Mary, and the rest of my new friends that I made on that trip. These simple connections are ones that I cherish. Today, I stayed connected with them on various social media platforms, and we always check in on each other regarding life updates and the latest developments in our research.