We are excited to share that INCIGHT Scholar Adrian Manriquez will be graduating with a Doctorate in Psychology from PSU in May of 2024. He is currently interviewing for professor positions at a few different research-intensive universities and hopes to mentor other doctoral students in his future career.
The INCIGHT education team has been fortunate to get to know Adrian as an INCIGHT Scholar for the past 3 years. Adrian says, “For me, the INCIGHT Scholarship means that there is a supportive organization who believes in me, and in people like me. This scholarship has been such a great source of motivation and social support. It has truly been one of the many highlights of my graduate career.”
During his doctoral studies, Adrian was awarded a Health Policy Research Scholarship from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This honor provided funding to assist with Adrian’s graduate research work. Adrian shared that he rarely experienced working with a teacher or professor that looked like him. He said, “I want to be a force in my community that shows young students of color who have disabilities that they are more than capable of being successful in college, and that they should pursue their academic and career goals. I want to show such students that if I can achieve my dreams, then they can as well.”
Adrian connects to INCIGHT’s mission of Changing Hearts and Minds and he makes it his goal to “continuously tell such students that they are not bad students, but rather, they are facing additional barriers than neurotypical individuals. I tell these students all about my academic journey.... I try to be a support for these students, and help them foster the courage and self-esteem to push forward despite the extra challenges they may face.”
We are so proud of Adrian, and we are looking forward to hearing more about his great successes as he fulfills his dreams and pursues his career!
The INCIGHT Scholarship application is open until April 15th 2024. Please spread the word! The INCIGHT Scholarship is awarded to students from Oregon, Washington or California who experience any disability and are pursuing a two- or four-year college, trade school or certificate program. To learn more, please go to www.incight.org/scholarship.