St. Mary’s College staff, comprised of FJ Talley, director of the DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program; Devin Holt-Zimmerman, institutional research analyst I; and Mary F. Dorsey, coordinator of advising services, presented during the 100th Anniversary International NASPA Convention (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) in Philadelphia, Pa., in early March. The presentation, titled “Success for Underrepresented Students: Engaging Students Using Rigor, Challenge and Leadership,” highlighted the theoretical and practical model for the DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program, St. Mary’s College’s curriculum, and impressive data-based outcomes.
According to Dorsey, “The DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program is a rare example of programs that serve underrepresented students in higher education, due to its approach as a rigorous and challenging program. Most programs approach these students from a remedial point of view.”