McLennan Community College students present research, creativity at Scholar Day

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - McLennan Community College celebrated student research and creativity Friday morning with its Spring Scholar Day, turning the Learning Technology Center into a showcase of ideas—from health science projects to environmental research and classroom debates. The event ran 9–11 a.m. April 24 and highlighted the work of more than 250 students through 170 presentations, including wall posters, table displays, oral presentations and even Rube Goldberg Machines.

“Scholar Day highlights the kind of hands-on learning that can truly change a student’s path,” said Dr. Elaine Fagner, professor of geology. She said she’s watched undergraduate research transform confidence into opportunity—“proof that undergraduate research experiences like those showcased at this event can open incredible doors.”

One of the students presenting was Ryder Reese, a Radiology Technology student, who said the day is a chance to finally put that nonstop schedule on display. “It’s rewarding… because we put a lot of hard work into everything that we do all the time,” Reese said. “We’re in school five days a week. It’s non-stop, all day, every day.” Reese’s presentation focused on osteonecrosis when bone tissue dies and he said many visitors were learning about it for the first time. “It’s not something that a lot of people know about, so they just kind of ask questions, what it is and how you can fix it,” he said. After graduation, Reese plans to work in CT at Providence in the emergency department, and he credits MCC for building his confidence. “I honestly didn’t even know I could be as good as what I am right now,” he said. “They have done phenomenal in every aspect.”

Across the event, presentations ranged from local classroom work to research with long-term impact. Gloria Dominguez said she’s spent three years in a research group known as TIDES—Texas Integrated Diving and Ecological Studies Lab—studying coral abundance and health across multiple species. “I’m very proud of my work, I’ve done this for three years,” Dominguez said. “It’s something that I never thought that I would have gotten into and it’s opened the door for many things for me.” Dominguez, who already has a bachelor’s degree in biology, said the work has pushed her toward graduate school, with plans for a master’s in marine biology and eventually a Ph.D. “I love to do research. I will probably stay doing research with coral,” she said.

For dual credit student Naila Jamshid, Scholar Day was also about taking a step forward. Jamshid delivered an oral presentation for her composition class on whether the United States should explore the Arctic. “I think it’s great because I get to be out there and meet more people and show my research out to the people,” she said, adding the experience is building confidence for what comes next. “In the future, I can be more out there and more confident,” Jamshid said. “This is only building my confidence.” She said she hopes to attend medical school and become a dermatologist.

This semester, MCC added a new virtual component to Scholar Day to include online students, with recorded presentations available on YouTube and a live webinar session featuring 36 students. Organizers say the goal is to broaden access while keeping the event interactive, inviting students, faculty, staff and community members to engage directly with presenters and learn about the work being produced across the college’s programs.

McLennan Community College, founded in 1965, serves about 8,000 students each semester and offers more than 140 degrees, certificates and occupational skills awards with flexible scheduling on its 275-acre campus in Waco, adjacent to Cameron Park and the Bosque River. Scholar Day is held each fall and spring to recognize and celebrate student achievements, something nursing student Samantha Rickard said benefits everyone involved. “Scholar Day is exciting because we get to showcase what we have learned and how we are progressing,” Rickard said. “It allows all of us to look at different aspects of the degrees we have going on… and see some things outside of our degrees that we may not have seen before.”