The Summer Education Research Program (SERP) aims to encourage, promote, and prepare undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds to both pursue and thrive in their future graduate studies.
SERP is sponsored by UW–Madison’s School of Education and the university’s Graduate School, and it aims to increase opportunities for individuals to engage in important, independent research in fields across the arts, health, and education.
This work is guided by a faculty member or research associate mentor who is in, or affiliated with, the School of Education. The program offers a competitive $4,500 stipend for participants, as well as other amenities, including travel expenses to Madison and housing.
Over the years, SERP has prepared its student participants for a range of graduate programs and a variety of careers.
To give some insight into SERP and all that it has to offer, the communications team from the School of Education is interviewing SERP alumni who are willing to share their thoughts. Following is a Q-A with PF’anique Stonewall, who participated in SERP in 2017 and now serves as assistant principal of La Follette High School in Madison.
How did you learn about SERP, and what made you interested in pursuing a mentored research experience? In undergrad, I had always spoken about how I wanted my doctorate degree, but I was reluctant because I hated research. Then one day, a peer of mine mentioned SERP to me and said that I should apply. This way I could have an experience to base my higher ed decisions on. Additionally, I was intrigued by the mentor aspect; to have the opportunity to work with and be guided by an accomplished faculty member in their research field was cool to me.
Where were you doing your undergrad work, and what were you majoring in when you decided to attend SERP? I completed my undergraduate work at UW–Madison. I majored in elementary education with a certificate in educational policy studies.
What was your most meaningful experience or experiences from SERP? One meaningful experience was having Gloria Ladson-Billings as my research mentor. As an elementary education major, I had heard all about Dr. Ladson-Billings and her contributions to public education. I also got to experience her as a professor through a First Wave course, so my admiration and respect for her had already been established. Thus, when I got paired with her I was excited to be able to learn and soak up any knowledge she was willing to offer.
Also meaningful were the activities I got to do while bonding with my cohort members. Some of those activities being canoeing, attending the Farmers Market, playing Laser Tag, and many more. These were memorable experiences because even though I lived in Madison for college, I had never explored the city or what it had to offer.
Who was your faculty mentor, and what impact did that person have on you and your SERP experience? My faculty mentor was Gloria Ladson-Billings. Dr. Ladson-Billings has always had a heavy impact and influence on my journey as an educator and a student. Dr. Ladson-Billings helped me hone in on the focus of my research and gave valuable input on the pros and cons of moving forward with a PhD. Additionally, because my research topic was focused on the mathematical experience of Black girls within K-12, Dr. Ladson-Billings was a perfect mentor considering the prominent research that she’s done within education and how her work is still used as a guide for many educators. Dr. Ladson-Billings also connected me with other faculty members, including those who were Black women as well as math education professors.
What role did SERP play in your decision to pursue graduate studies? The role that SERP played was embedding in me the confidence that I could pursue another higher level degree and continue to be successful even if the coursework required a different skill set. I was able to use the skills I gained from that summer and better myself for the next part of my educational journey. A year after I graduated from undergrad, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis at UW–Madison.
Did you learn anything from your SERP summer that helped prepare you to navigate graduate school? If yes, did this contribute to your eventual success in grad school? My SERP summer was very beneficial in navigating graduate school. From the research skills to the networking with other student researchers, in addition to getting direct feedback on my writing and completing deadlines, I gained tools that I utilized in graduate school as well as in my current profession.
What are you currently doing professionally? Did your time with SERP play a role in helping you get to where you are today? Currently, I’m a high school administrator in Madison. My time in SERP contributed to my reasoning for wanting to be an educator and the importance of lifting marginalized voices while disrupting systems of inequality.
What advice do you have for future SERP scholars? Enjoy the experience. It’s an amazing opportunity to be paired with and learn from amazingly established faculty members, be in Madison at one of the most renowned universities for the summer, develop who you are as a researcher, and focus on a topic you’re passionate about. It also allows you a low-stakes opportunity to decide if furthering your graduate studies or becoming a college faculty member is something you’d like to pursue.