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 Yasmin Rodriguez, who participated in SERP in 2014 and researched the experience of Latina superintendents of K-12 schools.
How did you learn about SERP, and what made you interested in pursuing a mentored research experience? I learned about SERP from my McNair Scholars Program director. As a McNair student, I conducted a literature review my first summer focused on superintendents. After my first summer in McNair, I wanted to continue to expand my research skills to learn how to write a research proposal and develop my research analysis skills, while still focusing on my research passion, Latina superintendents. My McNair director shared the Summer Education Research Program (SERP) opportunity with me.
I was immediately intrigued to pursue a mentor-research opportunity because I wanted to continue to expand my research skills, particularly learning more about different methodologies and expanding my analysis skills through guidance from a mentor. Having the opportunity to have a mentor during my second summer was amazing because I got insights into how to build my research proposal, particularly learning about the essential components a proposal should have. Having a mentorship opportunity also allowed me to hone my analysis skills and receive advice from my mentor on how to explain key ideas clearly and concisely.
Where were you doing your undergrad work, and what were you majoring in when you decided to attend SERP? I graduated from Beloit College with a double major in education and sociology. My research passion during my undergraduate experience was focusing on Latina superintendents’ experiences. My research interest was ignited based on my experiences as a first-generation college student wanting to change K-12 classrooms and policies.
What was your most meaningful experience from SERP? One of the most meaningful experiences from SERP was working closely with a SERP alumna, Dr. Gwendolyn Baxley. Dr. Gwendolyn Baxley was fantastic. She shared advice with me on continuing to build my research skills, particularly my quantitative skill sets, and how I can explain my analysis. She also connected us with former SERP students, and it was great to hear their experiences, advice, and listen to their journeys after SERP. Even after SERP was over, Dr. Baxley continued to be such a great support to me because she would continue to share resources with me as I was applying to graduate school. She also continued to be a support for me when I was attending UW–Madison to pursue my PhD.
Another meaningful experience from SERP was providing me an opportunity to build my methodology and analysis skills by taking a STATA course.
What role did SERP play in your decision to pursue graduate studies? SERP played such a crucial role in my decision to pursue graduate studies. I was introduced to the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) program during my mentorship with SERP. After my time in Madison with the ELPA program, I decided to continue my graduate school trajectory with ELPA, specifically in the K-12 Leadership strand. Being part of SERP introduced me to the department and colleagues like Dr. Gwen Baxley, where I wanted to further expand my research with amazing peers and faculty. SERP also played an important role because during the summer it provided us an opportunity to prepare for the GRE test and connect with McNair students 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? Being part of SERP provided me with such tremendous and phenomenal learning experiences that I have been able to transfer to my graduate school journey. For example, I learned how to write research proposals that summer that prepared me to write conference proposals in graduate school. In addition, SERP provided me the opportunity to continue to practice my presentation skills by presenting my research project to a wider audience. This allowed me to present at conferences and clearly communicate my research interests.
What advice do you have for future SERP scholars? I highly recommend SERP to connect scholars with mentors they are really interested in collaborating with. SERP provides a wonderful opportunity to collaborate among great professors across numerous departments. Explore departments and professors you would like to work with.
During SERP, I also recommend asking questions and advice about graduate school or about research. Even after SERP, I also recommend continuing to connect with your mentor. Connect with your mentor to get insightful advice and tips about graduate school and research opportunities. Your mentor can share insightful advice about graduate school materials and answer any questions.
I also recommend keeping in contact with your SERP cohort. Your cohort is going to be the best support system during the summer because they can be a great listening ear. They can help you identify areas you may need to be more concise or that need further clarification. Your SERP cohort can help you collaborate on research projects and publications. Some of my great friends from graduate school have been SERP alumni who I often reach out to for advice on research or as just someone I can connect with. They will be your best friends during your graduate journey and after graduate school.