Welcome to the ISU McNair Scholars Newsletter

What to expect from this Newsletter?

Each month, you’ll receive updates on program activities, scholar achievements, alumni accomplishments, and opportunities to engage with current and former scholars.

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Events

Last month, six McNair Scholars participated in the McNair Summer Intensive and shared how the experience supported their graduate school journey.

Amanda appreciated that complex topics were broken into manageable steps, making the process feel more approachable. Rafael emphasized the importance of focusing on practical details, like transportation, and starting early with scholarships and school research.

Ontaria reflected on her future goals, saying the experience helped her think deeply about who she is, what she wants to do, and how she can inspire others on her reservation to pursue opportunities beyond high school.

Emilia gained clarity on how to begin searching for graduate programs and how to refine her research. Mary was surprised to learn that many graduate programs offer funding and support, easing her concerns about balancing coursework with multiple jobs. She also enjoyed the opportunity to bond with fellow scholars during a trip to Lagoon.

Bex found the experience helped them map out a realistic path to graduate school. While the planning process felt a bit overwhelming, it also felt exciting and motivating.

Together, their reflections highlight how the McNair Summer Intensive offered practical tools, personal insight, and renewed confidence.

Transportation and housing are free for all students. Students will stay in the BSU Dorms. Register early to secure your housing. Some meals will be provided.

Calling all TRIO Alumni!

TRIO needs your help!

We want to show how much TRIO means to people everywhere, to accomplish that we would love videos of every TRIO alumni proclaiming why TRIO WORKed for you!

Whether that is in your workplace, you in grad school, a professional program, or anything else that means TRIO WORKed for you!

Send videos, or written stories to

trio@isu.edu

This Month: McNair Scholars Explore the Living Library

This month, McNair Scholars will take part in a Living Library—an interactive experience designed to build community, empathy, and connection. In a Living Library, participants “check out” a person instead of a book, engaging in meaningful one-on-one conversations.

For this exercise, scholars will interact with mentors—our “Living Books”—outside of the McNair program. These conversations offer a unique opportunity to discover shared educational experiences, ask questions, and receive guidance on personal, academic, and professional growth. Through these interactions, students will gain valuable insights while expanding their support network beyond the classroom.

What our Scholars are Accomplishing:

Amanda Coburn is pursuing her Honors BFA in Art at Idaho State University. Originally from Downey, Idaho, Amanda has also called Colorado, California, Illinois, Alaska, and Missouri home. A nontraditional student with over a decade of professional experience in design, she returned to her original passion—art.

Through the McNair Scholars Program, Amanda has discovered not just the possibility but the reality of graduate education. “Before McNair,” she says, “I wasn’t even dreaming of grad school. I was just focused on finishing my bachelor’s degree.” Now, her goals include earning a Master of Fine Arts in Art and ultimately a PhD—a path she once thought inconceivable. “It’s changed the entire trajectory of my life.”

Amanda’s favorite part of college is the freedom to dive into her interests through research, even within the limits of assignments. She finds joy in the discovery process and takes pride in the work she produces. What she values most about the McNair Program is the unwavering encouragement: “It’s not just about my success—it’s about helping those who come after me. I want people to know McNair exists. I want to shout it from the rooftops.”

Her “why” is rooted in both personal and generational empowerment: she’s proving to herself—and showing her four niblings—that success in the arts is possible. “I want to be a living embodiment that you don’t have to starve to be an artist. You can do it and be a whole person.” And she is meeting that goal Amanda has had five of her artworks accepted to three literary magazines this semester. She is excited to keep entering work into literary magazines across the country to foster connections with other institutions, to demonstrate that artwork generation exists outside of urban centers, and to raise the profile of our diligent art program.

See her featured art:

sinkhollow.org

Sink Hollow Literary Magazine Issue 19

English Department, Utah State University, Logan, Utah

"Fact or Fiction," 2025. Charcoal on drawing paper. 30 by 30 in.

"Air," 2025. Graphite on bristol. 9 by 12 in.

glassmountainmag.com

Glass Mountain Literary Magazine Volume 34, Department of English, University of Houston, Houston, Texas

"Don't Pet the Fluffy Cow," 2024. Pyrography on birch panel, 12 by 16 in.

palousereview.wsu.edu

The Palouse Review, Literary Arts Journal

May 1st 2025 Edition, Honors College, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

"Corrupt," 2025. Copper and brass on birch wood panel with acrylic paint, 6 by 6 in.

"Natural Resources." 2025. Ink and graphite on illustration board. 54 by 24 in.

When she’s not creating art or diving into research, Amanda loves hiking, road-tripping, and indulging in her favorite local treat—Island Fries from A Taste of Hawaii. She also proudly holds the title of “cool auntie” to her four niblings.

To see more of her art visit her website: amandanoelcoburn.com

What are Alumni up to?

Pamela Pascali

Pamela Pascali graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a minor in Native American Studies in 2021. They are currently a Master of Science student

at Idaho State University and a recipient of a National Science Foundation Fellowship with a focus on Archaeological Sciences.

The skills Pamela developed through the McNair Program—including grant writing, applying for scholarships, and crafting compelling personal statements—equipped them to successfully apply for the prestigious National Science Foundation Fellowship. With this funding, they have been able to pursue their master’s degree with tuition fully covered, maintain a low level of student debt, and receive a living stipend to support their academic journey.

The McNair Scholars Program also helped Pamela gain valuable experience in research and deepen their understanding of the field. In the summer of 2020, their McNair research focused on expanding the existing obsidian database to include northern Nevada. The goal was to match obsidian artifacts found within the Snake River Plain to their geological source locations, which likely extended into the Great Basin.

This research not only provided insight into archaeological methods but also helped clarify their career goals—specifically, a desire to work in a museum setting and educate children about the past.

Pamela’s research training led them to attend the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project’s field school, where they worked on a Mayan dig site. These experiences more recently helped them secure a position as a Mobile Museum Educator, where they will be traveling throughout the region teaching children about fossils and dinosaurs. Overall, Pamela is grateful for the many opportunities the McNair Scholars Program helped them pursue and hopes many others will seek out the program as well.