The NSF OASIS scholarship program consists of a group of talented students who were selected to participate in this program to complete their bachelor degree in biology or environmental science. These highly motivated individuals expressed an interest to pursue careers in STEM and be a part of the science community in Yuma or nearby areas. Some of the group will go to professional schools to become pharmacists, dentists, and nurse practitioners. A majority of the group will continue in the science field by continuing their education to receive a master or even a doctorate degree. Students were chosen by scholastic achievement, community outreach, perseverance, and work ethic because the program would be difficult and challenging but equally rewarding.
This scholarship program was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Both Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University-Yuma were able to receive these scholarship 4-year grants and each student would receive two years at their institution, respectively. The students were formed into a cohort where they would take their core classes together to provide a peer-support network for optimal success.
The goals of this grant were two have support within the group, built strong bonds between students, and in helping each other succeed with team effort (in addition to getting a degree). Other positive things to come from this project was the ability to have tutors available to you when needed for difficult classes such as organic chemistry and biochemistry. Special emphasis was also placed on applying for summer undergraduate research experiences or internships and preparation for graduate school.
One of these students who participated, Alfonso Dominguez III, has been in Yuma ever since he was born. He received the Arizona Western College Scholarship to obtain his associate degree in environmental science. Alfonso then applied and successfully received the Northern Arizona University-Yuma branch campus OASIS scholarship. He was familiar with the structure, rigor, and demands of this program since the AWC program was very similar. Alfonso says that this scholarship has changed his outlook in life both academically and personally, “I have learned to take opportunities as they come, and to work hard to achieve my personal goals.”
Alfonso Dominguez III
Alfonso traveled to Russia in the summer of 2012 and did research with the Polaris project based in the Siberian Arctic in North East Russia on the Kolyma River watershed. His specific project was called “Cross Channel Variability of the Kolyma River and its Major Tributaries.”
After graduation Alfonso planning on spending his next year preparing and applying for graduate schools in either ecology or forestry.
Erika Johnson, another OASIS cohort, on the other hand is not a Yuma native and moved to Yuma from Phoenix in the December of 2010 to be closer to her fiancé who was stationed here in Yuma. She was hoping to finish her schooling at Arizona Western College when a classmate in her trigonometry class told her about the scholarship; afterwhich she quickly applied. Without the scholarship Erika would have not been able to finish her degree in a timely manner and also believes that the added financial stress would have affected her grades.
Erika Johnson
In the summer of 2012 Erika was accepted and attended an undergraduate research program at the University of Oregon. While there she worked on a unique research project and learned how to do laboratory techniques such as PCR, DNA purification, and cloning. After graduation Erika will be attending pharmacy school and hopes to utilize her STEM background in educating her patients on the drugs and medicine that have been prescribed to them.
Both of these students are graduating with honors and have done some extraordinary work as students at NAU-Yuma and as OASIS scholars.
– Mindy Torres ©2013
Yuma Scientist 