Welcome to McNair: My Path to Becoming a McNair Scholar

Hello! I’m Cliff Hayes, a Criminal Justice Pre-Law student who is also pursuing a Legal Studies Certificate at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (UWEC) [AND] one of the most recent members of the McNair Scholars’ program. College, for most of my life, was never something I really considered because my dream had always been to be in the military. College stood on a pedestal in the back of my mind; I did not believe I would ever have the academic ability to be accepted or successful, and I most certainly would never have had the finances to pay for tuition. When I returned home from my training for the National Guard, I learned I would not be able to switch to the Active Army. I now found myself at a crossroad. Presented with the golden opportunity to attend school with my GI bill, I applied and was accepted into the spring 2019 cohort at UWEC. Early on, I was drawn to criminal justice as I saw potential to continue to serve and make a difference in my community, and even nation in the career fields which branch off from it such as being a Federal Agent or Attorney. It would not be until later that I began to realistically explore a future in law.

---

So, when did McNair enter the picture? From the time I first began attending classes at UWEC, I had noticed the “I am McNair” posters scattered around the campus. I was impressed by the research these students were doing and could never imagine that one day, I might stand among them. I had had an average start to college grade wise, but it wouldn’t be until the beginning of my junior year things started to really click for me. I became truly enthralled in the world of criminal justice despite the growing pandemic which had affected my family in a big way. It was due to the academic success I experienced during this trying time that I began to wonder what it might take to seek out further education after graduation, yet another goal that seemed simply out of reach, even during this period of academic growth. This brings us more or less to the present. About three weeks into the latter half of my junior year, I received an email with the subject line: “Interested in Grad School?” After reading the contents of the email, I had thought to myself that surely they must have reached out to the wrong Cliff Hayes; but they hadn’t. This email had finally opened my eyes that maybe, just maybe, I did in fact have what it took to pursue further education. Despite my history of average grades, hours of hard work and dedication within my field of study had not gone unnoticed. Similar to the years before, I was once again presented with a golden opportunity which I would not let slip through my fingers. I quickly began the application process. and soon after that on Monday, February 15th, I received the news that I, Cliff Hayes, was going to be a McNair Scholar.

---

You might be wondering, “Well this is all well and good Cliff, but what is a McNair Scholar?” and to that I would answer with this excerpt from UWEC’s page regarding the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program:

“The McNair program is a micro level policy intervention aimed at leveling the playing field in graduate-level education one McNair Scholar at a time. Its goal is to level the playing field in graduate-level education by preparing academically talented students from low income, first generation and underrepresented backgrounds for graduate level education, with the ultimate objective of completing doctoral studies. As more and more disadvantaged students go on to earn doctoral degrees, they receive the stated benefits of this degree, and go on to pass on these benefits to future generations. The intergenerational cycle of benefits of educational attainment begins with each McNair Scholar.”

Suffice it to say as one of the first members of my father’s family to be born in the United States and a first generation college student this program represents much more to myself and my family than can be encapsulated in a brief descriptive paragraph.