Photo Gallery of the McNair Scholars

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Cristina Aparicio

Cristina Aparicio transferred from Santa Barbara City College and is currently a senior in the department of International The Development Studies emphasizing in Latin America and the Middle East. Pursuing higher education for Cristina is essential since she is the first in her family to attend college. She continues to be involved with a nonprofit organization called Surgical Eye Expeditions International, as well as with Democratic Party in Santa Barbara. Cristina is a strong advocate of giving back to the community; she has mentored elementary, high school and community college students through a program called Cal-SOAP. During the fall and winter quarter of 2004 she worked for the UCLA Career Center where she assisted counselors as well as provided services to students. Also during the quarter of 2004 she was inspired to conduct research in the field of Colonial Latin American History by taking a class with Professor Kevin Terraciano. Currently, as a McNair Scholar she is being mentored by both Professor Terraciano and Professor Adolfo Bermeo on 'Local Religion of Mexico.'s Her senior thesis will focus on the profound influence Spain has had on Mexico s religious and cultural practices. She will emphasize the birth of mestizaje pride in which idols like 'La Virgen de Guadalupe' were created to promote nationalism, as well as 'El Dia de Los Muertos,' which combined a mixture of indigenous and European customs. Cristina's interests in the history of Mexico grew from questioning the cultural practices she was brought up with and how they developed. Upon obtaining her bachelor's degree, she will pursue a joint degree combining a Ph.D. in History focusing in Latin American Studies and a J.D. in International Law.

Kency Cornejo

Kency Cornejo is a transfer student from El Camino College and now a senior and Art History major focusing on Latin American Art. She is currently in College Honors and will begin her Departmental Honors work this year. She enjoys drawing, painting and running to release stress but prefers laughter. She has interned at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and participated in the Getty Multicultural internship. After attaining her PhD Kency plans to teach at the University level and be a curator of Latin American Art. Growing up in Compton she has witnessed various injustices socially and educationally which flourished her interest in politics and social justice. However she could not ignore her desire to create and appreciate art. Thus here at UCLA she has combined her two passions and now uses art as a tool to bring knowledge and awareness of politics and social injustices. She has currently carried out research on Emory Douglas and the Art of the Black Panther Party which she plans to expand and is currently working on her McNair research under the mentorship of Professor David Kunzle and Professor Paul Von Blum.

Brandon Evans

Brandon Evans is a third year History student studying early Christian history at UCLA. A current McNair Research Scholar, Brandon plans on pursuing a Masters in Divinity at a major research university before going on to complete his Ph.D. in Early Church history. He is currently working under the mentorship of Dr. S. Scott Bartchy, a history professor here at UCLA and also the director for UCLA's Department for the Study of Religion. Brandon is working on his senior honors thesis in the department of History, analyzing and explaining the historical divergence of the early Christian movement from its Jewish roots.

“The Great Divide” (as he’s entitled it) seeks to define the causes (political, social and theological) and ramifications of the historical breakage of the early Christian church from its roots in the Jewish tradition. Brandon’s working thesis is based on the historical evaluation of the statement that the break of the early Christian movement from its Jewish roots, though theologically envisioned, was politically and socially motivated and fueled. The evaluation of this thesis has led Brandon to assess how the original social and theological goals of the Jesus movement may have been altered due to political and social pressures and manipulation in the subsequent centuries.

Brandon enjoys humor and departs timeless wisdom: Before you insult someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then after you insult them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes. Though fond of sarcastic jokes, this native of Garden Grove, CA truly enjoys his research but, as always, would rather be fishing.

Adrian Felix

Adrian Felix is a fourth year political science major at UCLA. Adrian grew up in a predominantly Mexican community in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. He is the son of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to go to college. After graduating from Francis Polytechnic High School in 2001, Adrian began his undergraduate career at UCLA by joining the Freshman Summer Program.

Adrian’s research interests lie at the intersection of international relations, comparative politics and Latino politics. As part of the UCLA McNair Research Scholars Program, Adrian is developing a senior thesis that examines the effect that media framing has on public opinion in regards to U.S. armed intervention abroad. In addition, Adrian has plans to develop a project on municipal level politics in Zacatecas, Mexico as well as an analysis of transnational politics from the perspective of Latino immigrants.

After graduating from UCLA, Adrian plans to pursue a Ph.D. in political science. Eventually, Adrian hopes to become a professor at a research university.

Terry Flennaugh

A first generation college student, Terry Flennaugh is a graduating senior from Oakland, California. Since his admission into University of California, Los Angeles Terry has become involved in numerous organizations on campus. His activities rang from being a UCLA Tour Guide to playing an active role as an Academic Advancement Program (AAP) Peer Counselor. Additionally, through his involvement in the annual African Student Union High School Conference, Terry has chosen to emphasize outreach and retention in his undergraduate experience. Although he spends much of his time wandering the corridors of Franz Hall as a Psychology major, his true passion lies in Education Studies, with specific interest in access and educational attainment for underrepresented people of color. Post graduation from UCLA, Terry aspires to complete a PhD program in Education while continuing to research the causes and influences of the education gap. Ultimately he hopes to implement and direct an outreach and retention program for a major university

Olivia Guevara

Olivia Guevara is a bicultural (Mexican/Salvadoran) first-generation senior pursuing a BA in Sociology with a minor in Labor and Workplace. She continues to flourish at home with two wonderful parents and a sister who have supported her every decision and action, regardless if it ever stirred controversy. Besides her passion in sociology, Ms. Guevara volunteers numerous hours to the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation by helping with the organization of social events for fundraising and student outreach programs. She keeps herself busy with her time-consuming research project, which has become her passion as an undergraduate at UCLA. Ms. Guevara plans to take a year off after graduating in June 2005 in order to pick up another foreign language and further build upon her current knowledge on work and labor. God willing, she will carry on her passion in graduate school where she will be applying for a doctoral degree in Sociology.

It was late in her sophomore year that Ms. Guevara realized her passion for women’s migrant issues in a class entitled “Work and Labor.” There she made an extensive interview with a caregiver in Los Angeles that dispelled many stereotypes that she was fed about the domestic sphere that involved immigrant women. From that point, Ms. Guevara became determined to do more research on women who use domestic work as a tactic of sacrifice for the family. She is currently working with a group of women who, prior to working within the domestic realm, contributed to the Los Angeles job market as teachers, nurses, clerks, etc. Her research outlines the different tactics these women use to overcome financial obstacles as domestic workers and the reasons for occupational change; ultimately, presenting a growing niche within female domestic work in Los Angeles.

Romeo Guzman

Romeo Guzman is currently a senior transfer student at the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduating from Garey High School in Pomona, like most students from this school, he was not prepared nor did he have the proper numbers to attend a four-year university. He decided to take the transfer route. After one year at Santa Barbara City College and two years at Mount San Antonio Community College, he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles.

At the UCLA he has excelled in his classes and is currently a McNair scholar. As a McNair scholar he is writing a senior thesis entitled “The Buffalo Pan—American Exposition of 1901: Looking and Being Looked at”. His thesis examines souvenir and pamphlets produced for the fair to illuminate the visual discourse or race. The question that he attempt to answers is: what economic project does the racial discourse about Mexicans and Native Americans facilitate? This discourse projects the inferiority of Mexicans, Native Americans and the superiority of Americans. This racial discourse is also closely tied to a discourse of progress and modernity.

Romeo Guzman has also found ways to combine his intellectual ability with his humor—mainly sarcasm—by writing for the Chicano/a Latino/a Newsmagazine at the University of California, Los Angeles. His articles include, “Arnold for Governor: Homer for President: the Power of Popular Culture” and “Burn a Bush: Vote in 2004”. He is currently working on /“The Busterization of Latino Fraternities: the Chicano/a political continuum/”.

Mr. Guzman plans to continue his research on world’s fairs at a P.h.D program. In the fall, he will be applying to American Studies programs, Ethnic Studies programs, and History programs at various institutions. After obtaining a PhD he plans on becoming a professor at a research university.

Juan Herrera

Juan Herrera is a graduating senior in Latin American Studies and Chicana/o Studies, with a minor in Portuguese. His research interests are ethnic identity, the African diaspora and Afican-based religions, and the intersection of race, class, gender and sexual orientation in Latin America. He is a first generation student and has a strong commitment to various communities in Los Angeles working as a tutor and mentor in various degrees to inner-city youth and assisting various UCLA based organizations. After completing his PhD, Juan hopes to teach classes on various aspects of Central America and document the experiences of immigrants from that region of the world.

Juan immigrated to the US at age seven, leaving his civil-war stricken homeland of Guatemala. His work has been significantly influenced by his experiences in Guatemala and in the US especially observations about race, class and ethnicity in both countries. His current work examines the ethnic resurgence movement among Guatemalan Mayas of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz. His senior thesis will look at how the struggle for justice for human rights violations intersects with the ethnic resurgence movement among the Maya.

Chris Hoklotubbe

Thomas Christopher Hoklotubbe is a fourth year senior majoring in the Study of Religions with special interests within areas of Early Christianity and the Philosophy of Religions. As part of both College Honors and the McNair program, Chris is currently working on his Senior Honors Thesis titled “The Origins and Historical Questions of the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth” under the supervision of the director of the Center for the Study of Religions, Professor S. Scott Bartchy. Chris is highly active on campus with various groups including his fraternity Alpha Gamma Omega, Campus Crusade for Christ, Student Alumni Association, and various community service organizations.

Chris has a variety of passions and ultimately wants to see many things happen while he is graced with time here. After completing a B.A. at the University of California, Los Angeles, Chris hopes to attend Norte Dame’s master program in Early Christian Studies and Ancient Languages and eventually earn a Ph.D. in 1st Century History and Early Christianity from Harvard or Yale. Chris aspires to become a professor in the areas of Early Christianity, World Religions, and Philosophy of Religions and Ethics.

Sarah Maramil

Sarah Marie P. Mamaril is a fourth year undergraduate student expecting to graduate in 2005 double majoring in Sociology and Asian American Studies at UCLA. Sarah is currently in her second year as a peer counselor for UCLA’s Academic Advancement Program which has heavily influenced her current research. She has been under the mentorship of Professor Don T. Nakanishi since 2003, and she is a UCLA McNair Research Scholar. Ultimately, she wants to earn a Ph.D. in Education and have a positive influence on student success within the educational system.

Sarah’s research was inspired by her co-workers at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center Library where she utilizes resources for her research. Since coming to UCLA, she has become a stronger advocate for underrepresented students. She maintains a powerful belief that any student can succeed given the proper guidance. Sarah’s family and friends continue to support her endeavors and feed off her passion for others.

Miguel Sauceda

Miguel Luz Sauceda is currently a senior studying History at UCLA. Born in Grants Pass Oregon, Miguel moved to Eugene when he was two. After finishing high school in 1996, Miguel moved to California where worked numerous odd jobs up and down the state. In 2002, Miguel’s travels brought him to Coalinga California, a small town in rural Fresno County. While he was there, he enrolled in West Hills Community College where he excelled in his studies. In 2003, after being named West Hills Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) student of the year, Miguel applied and was accepted to UCLA.

Initially, he felt overwhelmed by the University but after a very successful first quarter, his confidence grew. During his second quarter, he applied and was accepted into the McNair Scholar Program. He began focusing his work on California’s San Joaquin Valley and the community where he attended community college. His current work examines urbanization and how it is affecting the San Joaquin Valley. Miguel is also preparing to write his senior thesis, in which he intends to explore the history of the Valley and how it has contributed to the urbanization and polarization of the region.

Ultimately, Miguel plans to obtain his Ph.D. in History and return to the Valley to teach. He invisions himself teaching California history at U.C. Merced but also would be happy teaching at the community college where he transferred from.

Maria Sklar

Maria de Los Angeles Sklar is a fourth year transfer student in the department of International Development Studies with a minor in Latin American Studies. She graduated from Santa Barbara City College in May 2003 with an Associate of Arts degree in Spanish. While attending junior college, Maria worked as the Special Program Advisor in the Career Advancement Center on campus. Maria has participated in various community activities. She became part of the Enlace y Avance program directed by the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she mentored sixth grade students at nearby Isla Vista Elementary school. In addition, she volunteered as a certified advocate for survivors of sexual abuse for the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center. She also helped as an interpreter and office assistant at Surgical Eye Expeditions International (S.E.E.), a non-profit organization that performs eye surgery for individuals of disadvantaged backgrounds. Maria has a passion for helping others in her community and in her pastime enjoys watching foreign films and traveling. While taking courses that pertain to her ancestry, Maria discovered a passion for learning about the history of Latin America, particularly in Mexico.

Her curiosity in and enjoyment of learning about colonial Latin America led her to become involved in research. Her honors thesis involves studying women’s roles within the socio-political systems during pre and post-colonial Mexico.

Cathy Sylvester

Catherine A. Sylvester is a fifth year International Development Studies and Political Science double major and English minor. She is also a student leader at UCLA. Catherine became a tutor in the Academic Advancement Program in her sophomore year and a supervisor in her junior year. She also was the African Student Union Vice-Chair and is currently the President of the UC-wide African Black Coalition. Catherine has also studied abroad in Morelia, Michoacan while at UCLA, expanding her knowledge in Mexican culture.

A first generation college student, Catherine is one of seven children. Born and raised in Sacramento, California to Catherine E. Sylvester and Michael Sylvester, Catherine has always used her education to be a role model to her six siblings and niece. Catherine’s parents have always instilled in her the belief that hard work leads to success. This determination comes from disadvantages Catherine experienced through her lifetime. Not her economic, racial, or gender disadvantage; but her disadvantage of height. At an early age and throughout high school Catherine learned, nothing is easy on a basketball court for the smallest person on the court and so be it life.

Her interests in international and ethnic social affairs alongside her love for music have sparked her ongoing research in the McNair program and beyond. Her past work, “Lyrical Warfare” focused on the diamond conflict in Africa and its connections to rap music. Her passion in studying rap music stems from the community in which she was raised. While at UCLA, Catherine has lost several friends due to poverty and the violence of poverty. In her work she not only seeks a degree, but guidance to improve the status of her respective black, female, and impoverished communities. Her work is written not only for academia, but for the youth who are the future leaders.

Ali Valenzuela

Ali Valenzuela is a senior transfer student from Rio Hondo Community College majoring in Political Science with an American Politics concentration. He will complete an honors thesis through the department honors program and will soon complete the requirements for College Honors. Ali has worked as a web programmer for the Advanced Policy Institute of UCLA’s School of Public Policy and Social Research since the summer of 2003. In this capacity, he has worked with a small team of Urban Planning graduates, under the direction of Dr. Neal Richman, to implement community-focused, asset mapping, research and community web tools for information processing and distribution. Some important projects include NKCA (http://www.nkca.ucla.edu) and LILA (http://www.lila.ucla.edu).

Prior to UCLA, Ali worked with elected board members as the student trustee of Rio Hondo College helping to formulate and set school policy. Through this position, he headed a team of highly dedicated students to run a segment of Rio Hondo’s general election bond campaign in 2000. While unsuccessful, this effort was nonetheless instructive in the process of community organizing, leadership, and electioneering. Ali graduated from Rio Hondo on the Dean’s List as well as with an Honors notation. Through this honors program, he presented a research paper on the predictors and influences of military and political aggression to the Annual Honors Transfer Council of California at UC Irvine.

Aaron Allen

Aaron Allen is a fourth year transfer student from the Bay Area. He is majoring in Sociology and is interested in adding a minor in education. He is currently working as an AAP tutor which has influenced him to consider pursuing his graduate study in the field of education. His desire to attend graduate school and eventually make changes within any profession he decides to pursue has inspired him to be a part of the McNair Research Scholars Program. His ultimate goal is to enter a career which will allow him to help people in need. Aaron’s research interests involve race and identity. He is presently shaping his research around ethnic self identity formation among adolescent males and females of mixed black and white heritage. Aaron’s own Black and White background has contributed to his passion for his research topic, and he hopes to use this experience has the foundation for future endeavors.

Gazi Begum

Gazi Begum is a third year psychology major and women’s studies minor. She was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh but raised in Los Angeles. Finding the cultural balance between her two opposing worlds has always been a challenge for Gazi. This inspired her to become actively involved in the UCLA Marriage and Family Development Project. Presently, her project will examine the intergenerational transmission of social support. Today, Gazi’s research interests focus on how families influence a child’s psychopathology. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with an emphasis on developmental psychopathology. In the future, she would like to become a researcher in hopes of incorporating her own culture into clinical intervention.

Trina Greene

Trina Greene began her career at UCLA in the freshman summer program in 2002, where she was first introduced to the Advanced Academic Program (AAP). Upon enrolling, she originally wanted to have a career in business, but has since changed her mind to go into Mass Media Communications. She selected this major because the representation of blacks in mainstream America is very demeaning. Thus, for her professional goal she has chosen to get involved in the broadcasting industry to produce counteractive images. She completed her first internship this summer at a popular Los Angeles radio station, 100.3 The Beat, where she was given the opportunity to work on-air with disk jockeys. Her next goal is an internship with a local news station. She is involved in several organizations on campus including the African Student Union, Program Leading to Undergraduate Success, and AAP. She is also delighted to be a Mc Nair Scholar, hoping to gain more knowledge about mass media’s effects on the African American community.

Dana Heatherton

After working at the Japanese American National Museum and Self Help Graphics in their curatorial and archive departments respectively, Dana Heatherton became interested in studying how notions of urban space, memory, and economics affect cultural representation. These experiences inspired her McNair research project titled, 'Developing Place, Declining Memory: An Examination of Little Tokyo and its Cultural Institutions.' As a third year Comparative Literature major and Japanese minor she hopes to enhance her research by studying modes of cultural representation through various types of literature. She also likes to ball it up.

Chan Mang

Chan Mang is currently a fourth year Business-Economics major who plans on double majoring with Mathematics/Applied Science. Chan was born in Thailand but for the most part grew up in Long Beach, California and was the second of three children. As a first generation college student, Chan credits the IB program at David Starr Jordan High School, a school that is usually overlooked when compared to Poly High School, for his current success at the university level. At UCLA, Chan began studying economic theory and was immediately drawn to its elegance. His research interests in economics are rational behavior theory and experimental economics. He wants to investigate the conditions in which individuals make decisions that are considered rational. Outside of school, Chan is an avid sports fan of all sports and believes that ESPN is one of the greatest television networks of all time. Chan's hobbies include running, playing basketball, reading, going to movies, and most importantly, The Simpsons animated series. In the future Chan hopes to achieve his life-long dream of obtaining a Ph.D in economics.

Maria De Lourdes Reyes

Maria De Lourdes Reyes was born and raised in Mexico. She was the first one in her nuclear family to immigrate to the United States, in 1989. Her goals were to be near her boyfriend who immigrated a year before she did, and to find a job to help her relatives. In 1990 she married her boyfriend Roberto and now they have two children, Betsy who is thirteen years old, and an eleven years old boy, Luis. Lourdes returned to school after 16 years, and she is the first one in her family pursuing higher education. She wants to be a role model for her children, and her husband is her main support. Maria De Lourdes is passionate about learning the experiences of Latina laborers who work in Los Angele, especially those who work as street vendors, domesticas and farm workers. Lourdes believes that Latina workers make history in the United States, but often their contributions are disregarded. She would like to gather data that would challenge existing beliefs, and perhaps to re-write history.

Kanara Christina Ty

Kanara Christina Ty is a third year undergraduate pursuing her BA in both Asian American Studies and Sociology. She hails from Long Beach, California. Since her arrival at UCLA, Kanara has been actively involved with numerous campus organizations, such as the Office of Residential Life, Career Based Outreach Program (CBOP), United Khmer Students and the Student Welfare Commission.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Kanara wants to pursue a Master's in Asian American Studies, as well as a PhD in Ethnic Studies. Kanara's research interests include Cambodian American students and their access to higher education. Her extracurricular activities and academic experiences at UCLA have served as influences in her passion for outreaching to the Cambodian American community. As a native of Long Beach, the largest Cambodian population outside of Cambodia), she strives to give back to her roots. One day, she dreams of becoming a professor and developing a Cambodian American Studies Department at a research institution.

Tam Tran

Tam Tran is an American Literature and Culture major and is currently a junior. She entered UCLA last quarter as a transfer student from Santa Ana College and plans on obtaining her Ph.D in English to teach at a community college in the future. Currently, she works as a tutor for the BruinCorp program on campus to help high school students from low-income families succeed in their education in the Mar Vista area. She also works as a private tutor. Tam is a part of AAP and participated in Transfer Summer Program last summer. She has also just recently joined Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society. Tam is also currently in the College Honors Program and is going to apply for the Departmental Honors Program. Her research interests include mainly 20th century American literature. In addition, she is also interested in issues of immigration and would like to study this representation in literature.