About

   My name is Nathaniel Brinlee, and I am a freshman attending Texas A&M University-Commerce studying under the major of Industrial Engineering.

   I have started this blog for my English 102 Advanced Research and Writing course. We are to post our completed assignments on our personal blogs. In this course, we will learn many aspects of research and writing, and we will eventually narrow our research to a specific topic of our individual choice. I am researching the impact of educational programs on the literacy skills and academic interests of the college and community. Based on my own experience, I have chosen to research Project STEEM and its influence on the students involved.

   According to Project STEEM’s official website
http://orgs.tamu-commerce.edu/steem/default.asp,
the university received $1,500,000 from the Greater Texas Foundation to promote interest and learning in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Education & Math. The grant funded two projects starting in 2007: Infinity Institute and X-TEEMS Academy. Unfortunately, the grant could only support three years of the program, so this is the final year.

   I personally participated in the 2008 X-TEEMS Academy. Many students who attended learned more about math and science and found a field that they could study as a major in college. On the other hand, some students discovered a new side of math and science that they hadn’t gotten to learn in school and now enjoy. In my own experience, I knew I loved math and science and that I wanted to study engineering. However, I had not found a college that truly got my interest. I was assuming that I would go to A&M-College Station, but I didn’t have a plan for college funding. It was in X-TEEMS Academy that I learned about the Honors College at A&M-Commerce. The Honors College is a division of the university that provides scholarship to students of higher academic level and ambition. Had I not participated in X-TEEMS Academy, I might not have the scholarship and opportunity to learn with such esteemed professors and standards.

   It is for these reasons that I am researching the impact of educational programs. Clearly, the students involved have gotten many benefits to their academic interests and opportunity, and thus furthermore, their development of literacy skills.