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A Newsletter for Friends and Alumni of the University of Washington
Student Spotlight: McNair Scholar VaLiesha Brown
UW senior VaLiesha Brown has her eye on the little things, the small steps adding up to something big.
The energetic business major has been immersed this year in intensive research through the Ronald E. McNair Program, a comprehensive undergraduate research opportunity offered through the Office of Minority Affairs Early Identification Program for Graduate and Professional Studies. “It’s not research that’s so much groundbreaking,” she says of her study, which she hopes will help organizers of financial literacy workshops better serve communities of color. “It’s more practical. But I’ve come to understand what research really means. There are a lot of baby steps you have to take to get to the big things.”
On top of her class and research schedule, Brown works part-time as a peer adviser in the Undergraduate Advising Office, mentors high school students through the Business School’s Young Executives of Color program, and is president of both the Association of Black Business Students and the Minority Pre-Law Society. “This is how my days end up being so long,” she laughs. “I do a good job of planning things out, but they’re full days.”
Looking ahead to life after her June 2007 graduation, Brown has applied to several law schools, including the UW, but is considering her options. “If I don’t go to law school right away, consulting is a field that I’m most interested in,” she says. “It ties back to helping the community, and that’s what I want to do.” Whatever her direction, she believes the knowledge she’s gained through conducting research will serve her well in her future. “My whole mindset now is that I can find what I need to know on my own,” she says. “I know that if I put in a little work I can find out what I need to know.” UW
For more on the Office of Minority Affairs Early Identification Program for Graduate and Professional Studies, visit http://depts.washington.edu/eip/.