November 7, 2005
Ball and awards ceremony to raise funds for
undergraduate research apprenticeships
By Jennifer McNulty
Each fall, faculty affiliated with the Chicano/Latino Research
Center invite a small number of undergraduates interested in
cross-border studies to join them as research apprentices.
These students participate in significant research projects
and benefit from the opportunity of working closely with a faculty
mentor and interacting with a cohort of students and faculty
with shared interests.
We created the apprenticeship because we wanted to build
an avenue to encourage promising students to pursue graduate
studies and professional careers, said CLRC director Aída
Hurtado, a professor of psychology. Mentors can help students
access all kinds of resources--financial and otherwise--to pursue
their goals.
In order to expand the popular program, which has served 60
undergraduates over the last five years, the CLRC is hosting
the First Annual CLRC Frida Kahlo Ball and Awards Ceremony on
November 19. All proceeds from the event will go toward the
Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP).
The awards ceremony will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m., followed
by dancing until midnight. A donor reception will take place
from 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets to the ball cost $50-$100; $20 for
students. The donor reception costs $25. All contributions are
tax-deductible.
Sarah Amador (left) was invited to participate in the
URAP program by Lourdes Martínez-Echazábal,
associate professor of literature.
Photo courtesy of CLRC
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Student apprentices rave about URAP. Sarah Amador,
who majored in literature and philosophy, participated for two
years. She was initially invited to participate by Lourdes Martínez-Echazábal,
associate professor of literature. As a senior, she worked with
Juan Poblete, also an associate professor of literature.
I had no idea how much my experience with URAP was going
to motivate me to apply to graduate programs in Hispanic literatures,
said Amador, who began doctoral studies at New York University
this fall.
The apprenticeship opened my eyes to academic life,
said Amador, who found her access to an interdisciplinary community
of undergraduates, graduate students, and academics working
on cross-border studies invaluable.
Ernesto Maldonado said being a professor's sidekick
was an amazing experience. Invited to participate by Norma Klahn,
professor of literature, Maldonado spent hours in McHenry Library
gathering materials about Carlos Monsiváis, one of Mexico's
leading intellectuals. The process of helping Klahn prepare
a scholarly article was fascinating, but learning that Klahn
hangs out with Monsivais when he's in town seemed
surreal.
I was blown away and couldn't really believe it until
I attended a conference with Norma and went to lunch with a
group of well-known intellectuals and a novelist, said
Maldonado, a literature major who graduated last spring. I
was amazed by their conversations--they were like family, and
not a dysfunctional one! By the end of the conference,
Maldonado no longer felt like an outsider and was thrilled to
speak with Mexican director Arturo Ripstein and screenwriter
Paz Alicia Garciadiego.
Organizers of the Frida Kahlo Ball hope to raise enough money
to expand the apprenticeship program, which is in its final
year of funding, said Hurtado.
Many of us know from our own educational experiences
how important mentors can be, said Hurtado. Now,
as professors, it's our turn to provide support and professional
guidance.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, please contact
Evelyn Parada in the CLRC office at (831) 459-3789 or via e-mail
at clrc@ucsc.edu.
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