Amber Shaw appointed Goldwater Scholarship Mentor for Coe College
For Coe College students undertaking the process of applying to a rigorous national fellowship program, Associate Professor of English & National Fellowship Advisor Amber Shaw is always there. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she works one-on-one with students to create the strongest possible application for the prestigious fellowships they’re pursuing. Coe has a history of national fellowship winners, and over the past seven years, Shaw has helped Coe students become Fulbright Scholars, Truman Scholars, Goldwater Scholars and Gilman recipients.
Recently, Shaw was selected by the Goldwater Foundation to participate in its inaugural mentoring program designed to cultivate an active pipeline of STEM students for the Goldwater Scholarship. A highly regarded scholarship for students who intend to pursue research careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, the Goldwater will continue to attract well-qualified candidates among Coe’s incredibly talented STEM students. Coe students’ high qualifications are evident — since 1985, 100% of chemistry and physics majors accepted to grad school have earned full scholarships or stipends from their graduate institution to attend. Coe is also one of just a few small colleges hosting a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program, which creates a wealth of qualified, research-oriented undergraduates to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship.
Shaw will be placed within a small group of other campus representatives, primarily from small liberal arts colleges like Coe, to be mentored by an experienced campus representative who now serves on the Goldwater selection committee. Shaw can then take what she learns in mentoring sessions and apply it towards helping potential applicants from Coe develop their strongest applications, with the ultimate goal of creating a healthy stream of candidates pursuing the Goldwater Scholarship.
“Cultivating a more robust Goldwater application pool on campus will give more students the opportunity to learn about, apply for and win this fellowship, which includes a scholarship and important networking opportunities for graduate school,” says Shaw. “The Goldwater is the most prestigious undergraduate fellowship in the sciences, and more awardees will raise Coe's profile and reputation by extension.”