Students in the Minority Arts and Sciences Program are finding their experiences so rewarding that their younger brothers and sisters are joining.
Since 1993 MASP has helped 140 underrepresented students to succeed academically and personally in selected science and mathematics fields. The program has expanded to include students pursuing studies in the humanities and social sciences. Eleven students recently were selected as the first scholars in the new component of the program, beginning fall 2000.
Four families have two or more siblings currently enrolled in MASP.
The older siblings were attracted to CU-Boulder because of the high-quality academic programs and the supportive environment that MASP provides.
Students in both components participate in a series of seminars, academic honors workshops, academic advising and clustering, and are given opportunities to connect with faculty engaged in research projects. The Summer Bridge Program, designed to help entering freshmen acquire the necessary skills for a more effective transition to the college learning environment, is a paid internship held on the Boulder campus for five weeks during the summer.
Kendra Gaylord joined MASP to get to know people and to find her way around campus before classes started. She said that she found it was easier to get to know people in a structured program, and that MASP has met her expectations. Kendra told Reggie and Amira, her younger brother and sister, about MASP and they both decided to join her on the Boulder campus.
Alphonse Keasley, MASP director, believes that his experience with the program has led him to appreciate the power of family approval and endorsement of a university.
"Many MASP parents have generously bestowed a high approval rating on our program, and consequently, the university," Keasley said. "If ever there was a reason to be a proud member of the university community, I couldn聮t think of a better one than satisfying our students and their parents."
Sophomore Dorcas Semakula joined older brother Samuel in MASP this year. She said having a sibling already in the program helped her to know what the expectations were. Her goal now is to achieve the MASP Golden Buffalo award, a certificate given to students who earn a 3.0 or better grade-point average in the previous semester.
Although the presence of family members in MASP is a benefit for the students, the siblings believe that the program is a valuable experience for any minority student pursuing studies at CU-Boulder.
"Siblings or not, I would encourage any minorities, particularly math and science majors, to look into MASP," Desiree said. "The workshops have been extremely helpful, especially in chemistry courses. But the main thing about MASP is that you get to know people who have similar backgrounds and similar goals as yourself."
The other students agreed, noting that MASP helped them to make the transition to college easier because it provided ways for them to become more comfortable with the campus and the courses offered, in addition to a welcoming social environment.
Brandy summed up the value of a MASP experience. "You can get a good education at CU-Boulder, and MASP is a great program for making connections that will last throughout your college career and beyond," she said.
"Alphonse is a great contact and mentor. Students who don聮t have Alphonse and the MASP community can get lost, because they don聮t know where to go or who to ask for help. It聮s a great thing to be involved in, and there聮s no reason not to do it."
The Minority Arts and Sciences Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder is acknowledged as one of the "best practices" models for recruiting, retaining and graduating minority students. For more information, call (303) 492-8229 or visit the MASP Web site at .
MASP Families
With Two or More Enrolled Siblings
o Dionne, Desiree and Brandice Brown: Dionne, Desiree聮s twin, graduated in December 聭99 with a degree in environmental, population and organismic biology; Desiree is a graduating senior majoring in EPO biology; and Brandice is a sophomore majoring in English. All three of the Brown sisters also are students in the President聮s Leadership Class.
o Kendra and Reginald Gaylord, and Amira Del Pino-Jones: Kendra is a junior psychology major; Reggie and Amira are freshmen majoring in EPO biology.
o Deanna and Janessa Pedroza: Deanna is a sophomore majoring in EPO biology; Janessa is a freshman, also majoring in EPO biology.
o Dorcas and Samuel Semakula: Dorcas is a sophomore psychology major; Samuel is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.