The Discover Program is an early exposure to graduate school program specifically targeted to freshman and sophomore first generation or underrepresented students.

Through the program students discover the benefits of pursuing an advance degree, engage in strategies for academic success and learn more about paid summer research opportunities. Discover functions as a successful pipeline program for the development of strong candidates for the McNair Scholars Program.

In fact, eight of the current 2021-22 McNair Scholars participated in Discover last year. 

Students who have successfully engaged in the curriculum and activities of Discover become Ambassadors and serve as peer mentors to new participants. They will also engage in a leadership role, assisting with the planning and developing of one Discover workshop per month and participate in career exploration and lifestyle actualization workshops using the online platform Career Navideer.

Upcoming Highlights include:

• Collaboration workshops with other offices across campus including the Learning Center, Career Center and the Office of Financial Success. 
• Workshops that focus on what academic research truly entails, what you can do with a PhD in both academia and in the industry, what you can do with a professional school degree and wider post-baccalaureate degrees. 
• First Generation Student week and speed networking for students across campus culminating in a joint event with TRIO SSS and the McNair Scholars Program. 
• Cluster mentoring from STEM graduate students to STEM Discover students in an effort to increase more students’ connection to their STEM major. 

Interested in learning more? Email Jeremy Bloss at BlossJS@missouri.edu.